Alternative splicing for tuneable expression of protein subunits at desired ratios.

The controlled expression of two or more proteins at a defined and stable ratio remains a substantial challenge, particularly in the bi- and multispecific antibody field. Achieving an optimal ratio of protein subunits can facilitate the assembly of multimeric proteins with high efficiency and minimize the production of by-products. In this study, we propose a solution based on alternative splicing, enabling the expression of a tunable and predefined ratio of two distinct polypeptide chains from the same pre-mRNA under the control of a single promoter. The pre-mRNA used in this study contains two open reading frames situated on separate exons. The first exon is flanked by two copies of the chicken troponin intron 4 (cTNT-I4) and is susceptible to excision from the pre-mRNA by means of alternative splicing. This specific design enables the modulation of the splice ratio by adjusting the strength of the splice acceptor. To illustrate this approach, we developed constructs expressing varying ratios of GFP and dsRED and extended their application to multimeric proteins such as monoclonal antibodies, achieving industrially relevant expression levels (>1 g/L) in a 14-day fed-batch process. The stability of the splice ratio was confirmed by droplet digital PCR in a stable pool cultivated over a 28-day period, while product quality was assessed via intact mass analysis, demonstrating absence of product-related impurities resulting from undesired splice events. Furthermore, we showcased the versatility of the construct by expressing two subunits of a bispecific antibody of the BEAT® type, which contains three distinct subunits in total.

Development of a 10 g/L process for a difficult-to-express multispecific antibody format using a holistic process development approach.

Ichnos has developed a multi-specific antibody platform based on the BEAT® (Bispecific engagement by antibodies based on the T-cell receptor) interface. The increased complexity of the bi- and multi-specific formats generated with this platform makes these molecules difficult-to-express proteins compared to standard monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). This report describes how expression limitations of a bi-specific bi-paratopic BEAT antibody were improved in a holistic approach. An initial investigation allowed identification of a misbalance in the subunits composing the BEAT antibody as the potential root cause. This misbalance was then addressed by a signal peptide optimization, and the overall expression level was increased by the combination of two vector design elements on a single gene vector. Further improvements were made in the selection of cell populations and an upstream (USP) platform process was applied in combination with a cell culture temperature shift. This allowed titer levels of up to 6 g/L to be reached with these difficult-to-express proteins. Furthermore, a high-density seeding process was developed that allowed titers of around 11 g/L for the BEAT antibody, increasing the initial titer by a factor of 10. The approach was successfully applied to a tri-specific antibody with titer levels reaching 10 g/L. In summary, a platform process for difficult-to-express proteins was developed using molecular biology tools, cell line development, upstream process optimization and process intensification.

Increased recombinant protein production owing to expanded opportunities for vector integration in high chromosome number Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Chromosomal instability is a characteristic of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Cultures of these cells gradually develop heterogeneity even if established from a single cell clone. We isolated cells containing different numbers of chromosomes from a CHO-DG44-based human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (hGM-CSF)-producing cell line and found that high chromosome number cells showed higher hGM-CSF productivity. Therefore, we focused on the relationship between chromosome aneuploidy of CHO cells and high recombinant protein-producing cell lines. Distribution and stability of chromosomes were examined in CHO-DG44 cells, and two cell lines expressing different numbers of chromosomes were isolated from the original CHO-DG44 cell line to investigate the effect of aneuploid cells on recombinant protein production. Both cell lines were stably transfected with a vector that expresses immunoglobulin G3 (IgG3), and specific antibody production rates were compared. Cells containing more than 30 chromosomes had higher specific antibody production rates than those with normal chromosome number. Single cell analysis of enhanced green fluorescent protein (Egfp)-gene transfected cells revealed that increased GFP expression was relative to the number of gene integration sites rather than the difference in chromosome numbers or vector locations. Our results suggest that CHO cells with high numbers of chromosomes contain more sites for vector integration, a characteristic that could be advantageous in biopharmaceutical production.

Peltaster cerophilus is a new species of the apple sooty blotch complex from Europe.

Adopting the currently used concept for the genus Peltaster, the sooty blotch fungus Peltaster cerophilus is newly described from the cuticle of ripening or ripe apples. It forms a punctate phenotype consisting of superficially formed pycnothyria and a superficial mycelial mat consisting of a net of brown or brownish black hyphae. The pycnothyria are olivaceous brown to brown but have a spot in the center that is less strongly pigmented. Pycnothyria on the holotype of P. fructicola are homogeneously pigmented. On synthetic nutrient-poor agar, P. cerophilus is largely indistinguishable from P. fructicola. It forms delicate, spreading hyphae and intercalary conidiogenous cells with short, lateral, apically thick-walled conidiogenous necks forming blastic, unpigmented, one-celled conidia in basipetal succession. Conidia can swell and become one-septate. The species has microcyclical conidiation in proximate parts of colonies. DNA sequence analyses based on the ITS and the partial nuclear small and large subunit ribosomal RNA genes, the partial mitochondrial small subunit rRNA gene and the partial translation elongation factor 1-α gene support the distinction of the European P. cerophilus from P. fructicola, which is known from North America and Europe. The nuclear small ribosomal RNA subunit gene sequences of P. cerophilus contain two group I introns at locations known to accommodate introns in certain other, unrelated taxa. One of these, for which the code "SSU-1506 intron" was adopted, is 1459 base pairs long and located between the universal primer sites ITS5 and ITS1. Similar or positional-differing introns were encountered also in three currently undescribed Peltaster species. Representative strains of Peltaster fructicola did not accommodate introns in the nuclear small subunit ribosomal RNA gene.

Impaired B-cell reconstitution in children after chemotherapy for standard or medium risk acute precursor B-lymphoblastic leukemia.

Chemotherapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a highly effective treatment, but at the same time causes significant suppression of the patient's immunity. Immune reconstitution was studied in a homogeneous cohort of 48 children with standard or medium risk ALL treated according to the ALL-Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (BFM) protocol. Whereas the T-cell compartment was only moderately affected and recovered to normal levels quickly after treatment cessation, B-cells were significantly reduced during and after therapy. In particular, the naive B-cell compartment declined. Even 5 years after the end of therapy, B-cell distribution was disturbed and patients showed an ongoing reconstitution. Thus, even standard regimens for chemotherapy cause severe B-cell depletion that resolves only gradually.

Analysis of Fusarium avenaceum metabolites produced during wet apple core rot.

Wet apple core rot (wACR) is a well-known disease of susceptible apple cultivars such as Gloster, Jona Gold, and Fuji. Investigations in apple orchards in Slovenia identified Fusarium avenaceum, a known producer of several mycotoxins, as the predominant causal agent of this disease. A LC-MS/MS method was developed for the simultaneous detection of thirteen F. avenaceum metabolites including moniliformin, acuminatopyrone, chrysogine, chlamydosporol, antibiotic Y, 2-amino-14,16-dimethyloctadecan-3-ol (2-AOD-3-ol), aurofusarin, and enniatins A, A1, B, B1, B2, and B3 from artificially and naturally infected apples. Levels of moniliformin, antibiotic Y, aurofusarin, and enniatins A, A1, B, and B1 were quantitatively examined in artificially inoculated and naturally infected apples, whereas the remaining metabolites were qualitatively detected. Metabolite production was examined in artificially inoculated apples after 3, 7, 14, and 21 days of incubation. Most metabolites were detected after 3 or 7 days and reached significantly high levels within 14 or 21 days. The highest levels of moniliformin, antibiotic Y, aurofusarin, and the combined sum of enniatins A, A1, B, and B1 were 7.3, 5.7, 152, and 12.7 microg g(-1), respectively. Seventeen of twenty naturally infected apples with wACR symptoms contained one or more of the metabolites. Fourteen of these apples contained moniliformin, antibiotic Y, aurofusarin, and enniatins in levels up to 2.9, 51, 167, and 3.9 microg g(-1), respectively. Acuminatopyrone, chrysogine, chlamydosporol, and 2-AOD-3-ol were detected in 4, 11, 4, and 10 apples, respectively. During wet apple core rot, F. avenaceum produced high amounts of mycotoxins, which may pose a risk for consumers of apple or processed apple products.