Transient transfection factors for high-level recombinant protein production in suspension cultured mammalian cells.

The efficient transfection of cloned genes into mammalian cells system plays a critical role in the production of large quantities of recombinant proteins (r-proteins). In order to establish a simple and scaleable transient protein production system, we have used a cationic lipid-based transfection reagent-FreeStyle MAX to study transient transfection in serum-free suspension human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. We used quantification of green fluorescent protein (GFP) to monitor transfection efficiency and expression of a cloned human IgG antibody to monitor r-protein production. Parameters including transfection reagent concentration, DNA concentration, the time of complex formation, and the cell density at the time of transfection were analyzed and optimized. About 70% GFP-positive cells and 50-80 mg/l of secreted IgG antibody were obtained in both HEK-293 and CHO cells under optimal conditions. Scale-up of the transfection system to 1 l resulted in similar transfection efficiency and protein production. In addition, we evaluated production of therapeutic proteins such as human erythropoietin and human blood coagulation factor IX in both HEK-293 and CHO cells. Our results showed that the higher quantity of protein production was obtained by using optimal transient transfection conditions in serum-free adapted suspension mammalian cells.

Roles of host cell factors in circularization of retroviral dna.

Early during retroviral infection, a fraction of the linear reverse-transcribed viral DNA genomes become circularized by cellular enzymes, thereby inactivating the genomes for further replication. Prominent circular DNA forms include 2-long-terminal repeat (LTR) circles, made by DNA end joining, and 1-LTR circles, produced in part by homologous recombination. These reactions provide a convenient paradigm for analyzing the cellular machinery involved in DNA end joining in vertebrate cells. In previous studies, we found that inactivating components of the nonhomologous DNA end-joining (NHEJ) pathway--specifically Ku, ligase 4, or XRCC4--blocked formation of 2-LTR circles. Here we report that inactivating another NHEJ component, the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), had at most modest effects on 2-LTR circle formation, providing informative parallels with other end-joining reactions. We also analyzed cells mutant in components of the RAD50/MRE11/NBS1 nuclease and found a decrease in the relative amount of 1-LTR circles, opposite to the effects of NHEJ mutants. In MRE11-mutant cells, a MRE11 gene mutant in the nuclease catalytic site failed to restore 1-LTR circle formation, supporting a model for the role of MRE11 in 1-LTR circle formation. None of the cellular mutations showed a strong effect on normal integration, consistent with the idea that the cellular pathways leading to circularization are not involved in productive integration.

Inhibition of retroviral pathogenesis by RNA interference.

BACKGROUND: RNA interference (RNAi) is a newly discovered cellular defense system that is known to suppress replication of genomic parasites in model organisms. It has been widely conjectured that RNAi may also serve as an antiviral system in vertebrates. RESULTS: Retroviral infection could be initiated by electroporation of cloned Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) proviral DNA into the developing chick neural tube. Coelectroporation of proviral DNA and short double-stranded RNAs matching sequences of avain retroviruses, which were designed to induce RNAi against RSV, inhibited viral replication. Replication of RSV after electroporation resulted in disruption of embryonic development and early death, but this, too, could be suppressed by RNAi against the RSV genome. RNAi could also inhibit the growth of RSV and HIV in cell culture. Analysis of the step of the retroviral life cycle that is inhibited by RNAi revealed that it primarily prevented accumulation of the viral RNAs synthesized late during infection. RNA genomes introduced in viral particles early during infection were less sensitive. CONCLUSIONS: RNAi can block retroviral infection in vertebrates. The tissue electroporation method described here should allow RNAi to be used widely to study gene function and control of infection in vertebrate animals.