Generation of transgenic silkworms for production of erythropoietin in Bombyx mori

There have been many attempts to generate various essential proteins using transformed E. coli systems. However, prokaryote systems are not equipped with the protein maturation mechanisms necessary to generate eukaryotic proteins. In this sense, among the eukaryotes, silkworms have major merits in overcoming the difficulties. Such protein maturation mechanisms are available in silkworms. In this study, a transgenic silkworm producing rhEPO in the cocoon was generated and purified. Specifically, we constructed a transgenic silkworm using a vector system that could be controlled to the next generation. To accomplish this, we microinjected the system into eggs laid during the preblastoderm stage. The rhEPO was then purified from transgenic silkworm cocoons using a Con A affinity column. The biological activity of rhEPO isolated from the cocoon of transgenic silkworms was then assessed in a cell culture system using an EPO-dependent cell line, F-36E. Next, PCR analysis was used to demonstrate that stable gene expression can occur in the embryos of the silkworm, Bombyx. mori. Transgenic silkworms were then selected and observed to ensure that the transgenic silkworm was maintained and transmitted to their progeny. The rhEPO was subsequently purified from the transgenic silkworm cocoon and the electrophoretic pattern of the purified rhEPO revealed a protein band with a molecular weight of approximately 20 kDa. A total of 3 mg of rhEPO was eluted from 10 g of cocoons. The proliferation of F36E cells for 25 ng/ml rhEPO was 1.32, while the proliferation for 2.5 IU/ml hEPO was 1.32. The proliferation of these cells could be induced by commercial hEPO, as well as by rhEPO from transgenic silkworm cocoons. An in vivo test of mice treated with rhEPO revealed relatively high RBC values when compared to normal mice. These results indicated that purified glycosylated EPO from transgenic silkworms had biological activities. Overall, the transgenic silkworm technique will be very useful for the large scale production of proteins for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.