Peptide Isolation via Spray Drying: Particle Formation, Process Design and Implementation for the Production of Spray Dried Glucagon.

PURPOSE: Spray drying plays an important role in the pharmaceutical industry for product development of sensitive bio-pharmaceutical formulations. Process design, implementation and optimisation require in-depth knowledge of process-product interactions. Here, an integrated approach for the rapid, early-stage spray drying process development of trehalose and glucagon on lab-scale is presented. METHODS: Single droplet drying experiments were used to investigate the particle formation process. Process implementation was supported using in-line process analytical technology within a data acquisition framework recording temperature, humidity, pressure and feed rate. During process implementation, off-line product characterisation provided additional information on key product properties related to residual moisture, solid state structure, particle size/morphology and peptide fibrillation/degradation. RESULTS: A psychrometric process model allowed the identification of feasible operating conditions for spray drying trehalose, achieving high yields of up to 84.67%, and significantly reduced levels of residual moisture and particle agglomeration compared to product obtained during non-optimal drying. The process was further translated to produce powders of glucagon and glucagon-trehalose formulations with yields of >83.24%. Extensive peptide aggregation or degradation was not observed. CONCLUSIONS: The presented data-driven process development concept can be applied to address future isolation problems on lab-scale and facilitate a systematic implementation of spray drying for the manufacturing of sensitive bio-pharmaceutical formulations.

From batch to continuous chromatographic purification of a therapeutic peptide through multicolumn countercurrent solvent gradient purification.

A twin-column Multicolumn Countercurrent Solvent Gradient Purification (MCSGP) process has been developed for the purification of a therapeutic peptide, glucagon, from a crude synthetic mixture. This semi-continuous process uses two identical columns operating either in interconnected or in batch mode, thus enabling the internal recycle of the portions of the eluting stream which do not comply with purity specifications. Because of this feature, which actually results in the simulated countercurrent movement of the stationary phase with respect to the mobile one, the yield-purity trade-off typical of traditional batch preparative chromatography can be alleviated. Moreover, the purification process can be completely automatized. Aim of this work is to present a simple procedure for the development of the MCSGP process based on a single batch experiment, in the case of a therapeutic peptide of industrial relevance. This allowed to recover roughly 90% of the injected glucagon in a purified pool with a purity of about 90%. A comparison between the performance of the MCSGP process and the classical single column batch process indicates that percentage increase in the recovery of target product is +23% when transferring the method from batch conditions to MCSGP, with an unchanged purity of around 89%. This improvement comes at the expenses of a reduction of about 38% in productivity.

A new strategy for recovery of two peptides without Glu employing glutamate-specific endopeptidase from Bacillus licheniformis.

The difficulty in the purification of bioactive peptide limited its application in food, drug and cosmetic industry. Here we report a new strategy for the recovery of two peptides employing glutamate-specific endopeptidase from Bacillus licheniformis (GSE-BL), which shows strong specificity for Glu residue. Human glucagon and human beta-defensin-2 (HBD-2) were peptides without Glu residue, and Glu residue was introduced between affinity tag and target peptide as recognition site of GSE-BL. Tagless human glucagon with the same HPLC retention time as native human glucagon and mature HBD-2 with antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity were obtained after GSE-BL treatment. This strategy has great potential in the recovery of bioactive peptide without Glu residue, thus facilitating large scale preparation of peptide and widening the application of bioactive peptide.

Influence of pressure and temperature on molar volume and retention properties of peptides in ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography.

In this study, pressure induced changes in retention were measured for model peptides possessing molecular weights between ∼1 and ∼4kDa. The goal of the present work was to evaluate if such changes were only attributed to the variation of molar volume and if they could be estimated prior to the experiments, using theoretical models. Restrictor tubing was employed to generate pressures up to 1000bar and experiments were conducted for mobile phase temperatures comprised between 30 and 80°C. As expected, the retention increases significantly with pressure, up to 200% for glucagon at around 1000bar compared to ∼100bar. The obtained data were fitted with a theoretical model and the determination coefficients were excellent (r(2)>0.9992) for the peptides at various temperatures. On the other hand, the pressure induced change in retention was found to be temperature dependent and was more pronounced at 30°C vs. 60 or 80°C. Finally, using the proposed model, it was possible to easily estimate the pressure induced increase in retention for any peptide and mobile phase temperature. This allows to easily estimating the expected change in retention, when increasing the column length under UHPLC conditions.

Expression, purification and preliminary characterization of glucagon receptor extracellular domain.

Glucagon is a pancreatic hormone that plays pivotal roles in regulating glucose homeostasis and metabolism. Glucagon exerts its action by binding to its receptor, glucagon receptor (GCGR), one of class B G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Diabetes is a bihormonal disease in which excessive glucagon secretion is a major contributor in the pathogenesis of this disease; elucidation of how glucagon binds to GCGR will facilitate the rational design of the GCGR antagonist for treating diabetic hyperglycemia. Here we report the successful expression and purification of the GCGR extracellular domain (GCGR-ECD) and its fusion protein with the glucagon peptide at its C-terminus (GCGR-ECD-Gc). We utilized the maltose binding protein (MBP) fusion method and disulfide bond isomerase DsbC co-expression approach for the success of the soluble expression of both GCGR-ECD and GCGR-ECD-Gc in Escherichia coli. We also obtained a high yield production of secreted GCGR-ECD with the baculovirus expression system by optimizing its N-terminal secreting signal. We first utilized isothermal titration calorimetry approach to determine the in vitro binding affinities of glucagon to the GCGR-ECD. No significant differences were found between the prokaryotic expressed GCGR-ECD (7.6µM) and the eukaryotic glycosylated one (6.6µM). The observation of the intra ligand-receptor binding within the fusion protein GCGR-ECD-Gc suggests it as a good candidate for further structural study.

Early milestones in glucagon research.

As an introduction to the Symposium, we have reviewed the early steps in glucagon research from its discovery in 1923 to the establishment of the basics of the physiology and pathophysiology of the hormone after the description of a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay by Unger and his co-workers in 1959.

Catalase expression in pancreatic alpha cells of diabetic and non-diabetic mice.

The pancreatic islet beta cells are very sensitive to oxidative stress, probably due to the extremely low level of anti-oxidant enzymes, particularly catalase. In contrast to beta cells, pancreatic alpha cells are significantly more resistant to diabetogenic toxins. However, whether alpha cells express a different level of catalase is not known. The aim of this study was to evaluate catalase expression in alpha cells of diabetic and non-diabetic mice. Diabetes was induced by a single injection of streptozotocin. After 3 weeks of persistent hyperglycemia, pancreatic tissues were collected. Catalase localization in alpha cells was identified by a dual-immunofluorescence staining with anti-glucagon and anti-catalase antibodies. In intact mice, intensive catalase and glucagon immunostaining was found in the peripheral area of islets. Merged images of glucagon and catalase show their localization in the same cell type, namely, alpha cells. Confocal microscopy indicated that the glucagon and catalase staining was distributed throughout the cytoplasm. Similar co-expression of catalase and glucagon was found in the alpha cells of diabetic animals. The results of this study show the intensive catalase expression in alpha cells of diabetic and non-diabetic mice. This knowledge may be useful to better understand the defense mechanisms of pancreatic alpha cells against oxidative stress.

Expression, purification, and C-terminal amidation of recombinant human glucagon-like peptide-1.

Human glucagon-like peptide-1 (hGLP-1) (7-36) amide, a gastrointestinal hormone with a pharmaceutical potential in treating type 2 diabetes mellitus, is composed of 30 amino acid residues as a mature protein. We report here the development of a method for high-level expression and purification of recombinant hGLP-1 (7-36) amide (rhGLP-1) through glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion expression system. The cDNA of hGLP-1-Leu, the 31st-residue leucine-extended precursor peptide, was prepared by annealing and ligating of artificially synthetic oligonucleotide fragments, inserted into pBluescript SK (+/-) plasmid, and then cloned into pGEX-4T-3 GST fusion vector. The fusion protein GST-hGLP-1-Leu, expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3), was purified by affinity chromatography after high-level culture and sonication of bacteria. Following cleavage of GST-hGLP-1-Leu by cyanogen bromide, the recombinant hGLP-1-Leu was released from fusion protein, and purified using QAE Sepharose ion exchange and RP C(18) chromatography. After purification, the precursor hGLP-1-Leu was transacylated by carboxypeptidase Y, Arg-NH(2) as a nucleophile, to produce rhGLP-1. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry showed the molecular weight was as expected. The biological activity of rhGLP-1 in a rat model demonstrated that plasma glucose concentrations were significantly lower and insulin concentrations higher after intraperitoneal injection of rhGLP-1 together with glucose compared with glucose alone (P < 0.001).

Expression, purification, and PC1-mediated processing of human proglucagon, glicentin, and major proglucagon fragment.

To examine the cleavage specificity of different members of the furin/propeptide convertase (PC) family of enzymes, we have selected proglucagon (PG) as a model substrate. PG was selected because it is subject to differential processing in vivo. PG is thought to be cleaved initially at an interdomain site to produce glicentin and the major proglucagon fragment (MPGF). These intermediates are subsequently cleaved, most likely by the convertases PC2 and PC1, respectively. To determine the exact sites within PG that are cleaved by PC1 and PC2, we attempted to produce milligram quantities of human PG, glicentin, and MPGF for use in an in vitro conversion assay. A methionine residue was added to the N-terminus of each protein to initiate translation. Purification was achieved using cation exchange and reversed-phase chromatography, and the integrity of the methionylated proteins was confirmed by both electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry and amino acid analysis. The combined expression and purification scheme is fast, efficient, and results in milligram quantities of > or =95% pure proglucagon, > or =95% pure MPGF, and > or =93% pure glicentin. These prohormones are cleaved by PC1 to produce product peptides consistent with the processing of PG observed in vivo, and should therefore be suitable for further analysis of the post-translational processing of PG.

Presence and localization of CCK receptor subtypes in calf pancreas.

This study was undertaken to confirm the presence of CCK receptor subtypes in calf pancreas and establish their cellular localization. Using specific antibodies against CCKA and CCKB receptors, somatostatin, glucagon and insulin, we were able to confirm by Western blot the presence of both CCK receptor protein subtypes in the calf pancreas as a 80-85-kDa CCKA receptor and 40-45-kDa CCKB receptor. By immunofluorescence, the CCKB receptor colocalizes with the islets' somatostatin delta cells, confirming what was previously shown in other species, as well as on ductal cells. We could not reproduce in the calf its colocalization with glucagon alpha cells as observed in human and rat. Any specific localization of CCKA receptors with our multiple antibodies failed. Our observation that the CCKB receptor subtype is specifically localized on pancreatic delta cells as well as on ductal cells lets us support the hypothesis that in this species, CCK could be involved in somatostatin metabolism as well as hydrelatic secretion; its effect on enzyme secretion would be indirect.

Establishment of clonal colony-forming assay system for pancreatic stem/progenitor cells.

Pluripotent stem cells found in a number of organs are usually in small cell populations. However, under adaptive stimulation, they enter the stage of growth and differentiation to compensate for the loss of differentiated cells. To analyze stem cell potential precisely, the exclusion of other differentiated cells and a clonal assay system are strongly required. In this study, we established a colony-forming assay system for pancreatic stem/progenitor cells in vitro. In this culture condition, they received signals for growth and differentiation, and formed clonal colonies including pancreatic endocrine-lineage cells, such as alpha and beta cells. By combining this culture system with flow cytometric cell sorting, pancreatic stem/progenitor cells will be enriched, and their potential can be analyzed precisely in single cell-based experiments.

The Caenorhabditis elegans polarity gene ooc-5 encodes a Torsin-related protein of the AAA ATPase superfamily.

The PAR proteins are required for polarity and asymmetric localization of cell fate determinants in C. elegans embryos. In addition, several of the PAR proteins are conserved and localized asymmetrically in polarized cells in Drosophila, Xenopus and mammals. We have previously shown that ooc-5 and ooc-3 mutations result in defects in spindle orientation and polarity in early C. elegans embryos. In particular, mutations in these genes affect the re-establishment of PAR protein asymmetry in the P(1) cell of two-cell embryos. We now report that ooc-5 encodes a putative ATPase of the Clp/Hsp100 and AAA superfamilies of proteins, with highest sequence similarity to Torsin proteins; the gene for human Torsin A is mutated in individuals with early-onset torsion dystonia, a neuromuscular disease. Although Clp/Hsp100 and AAA family proteins have roles in diverse cellular activities, many are involved in the assembly or disassembly of proteins or protein complexes; thus, OOC-5 may function as a chaperone. OOC-5 protein co-localizes with a marker of the endoplasmic reticulum in all blastomeres of the early C. elegans embryo, in a pattern indistinguishable from that of OOC-3 protein. Furthermore, OOC-5 localization depends on the normal function of the ooc-3 gene. These results suggest that OOC-3 and OOC-5 function in the secretion of proteins required for the localization of PAR proteins in the P(1) cell, and may have implications for the study of torsion dystonia.

Delimitation of the time of death by immunohistochemical detection of glucagon in pancreatic alpha-cells.

To improve the possibilities of delimitating the time of death after longer laytime it was examined if this is possible by immunohistochemical glucagon detection. The results show that in our examination material the pancreatic alpha-cells of up to 6-day-old corpses produce a positive immunoreaction towards glucagon in all cases whereas none of the corpses older than 14 days show such a reaction. This means that in the case of a negative immunoreaction the time of death can be assumed to lie more than 7 days before the autopsy. The fact that a negative immunoreaction occurs consistently after 14 days leads to the conclusion that when glucagon has been stained in a specimen, the death of the respective person must lie a maximum of 13 days earlier, whereby under markedly different conditions to the ones of the cases here examined, a negative immunoreaction could happen earlier and a positive immunoreaction even later.

Gastroenteropancreatic hormones (insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, and multiple forms of PYY) from the pallid sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus albus (Acipenseriformes).

Insulin, glucagon, somatostatin-14, and three structurally related molecular forms of peptide tyrosine-tyrosine (PYY) were isolated from an extract of the combined pancreas and gastrointestinal tract of the pallid sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus albus. Pallid sturgeon insulin was identical to insulin from the Russian sturgeon, Acipenser guldenstaedti, and to insulin-2 from the paddlefish, Polyodon spathula, and was approximately twofold less potent than human insulin in inhibiting the binding of [3-[(125)I] iodotyrosine-A14] human insulin to the soluble human insulin receptor. The sturgeon glucagon (HSQGMFTNDY(10)-SKYLEEKLAQ(20) EFVEWLKNGK(30)S), like the two paddlefish glucagons, contains 31 rather than 29 amino acid residues, indicative of an anomalous pathway of posttranslational processing of proglucagon. Pallid sturgeon somatostatin, identical to human somatostatin-14, was also isolated in a second molecular form containing an oxidized tryptophan residue, but [Pro(2)]somatostatin-14, previously isolated from the pituitary of A. guldenstaedti, was not identified. Sturgeon PYY (FPPKPEHPGD(10)DAPAEDVAKY(20)YTALRHYINL(30) ITRQRY.HN(2)) was also isolated in variant forms containing the substitutions (Phe(1) --> Ala) and (Ala(18) --> Val), indicative of at least two gene duplications occurring within the Acipenseriformes lineage. The amino acid sequences of the pallidsturgeon PYY peptides are appreciably different from the proposed "ancestral" PYY sequence that has otherwise been very strongly conserved among the actinopterygian and elasmobranch fish.

Islet hormones from the African bullfrog Pyxicephalus adspersus (Anura:Ranidae): structural characterization and phylogenetic implications.

The African bullfrog Pyxicephalus adspersus is generally classified along with frogs of the genus Rana in the subfamily Raninae of the family Ranidae but precise phylogenetic relationships between species are unclear. Pancreatic polypeptide (PP), insulin, and glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) were isolated from an extract of P. adspersus pancreas and characterized structurally. A comparison of the amino acid sequence of Pyxicephalus PP (APSEPQHPGG(10)QATPEQLAQY(20)YSDLYQYITF(30)ITRPRF++ +. NH(2)) with those of the known amphibian PP molecules in a maximum parsimony analysis generates a single phylogenetic tree in which Pyxicephalus is the sister to the clade comprising the members of the genus Rana. The three orders of living amphibians form discrete clades with the representative of the Gymnophiona appearing as sister to the Caudata-Anura. In contrast, Pyxicephalus insulin (A chain, GIVEQCCHSA(10)CSLYDLENYC(20)N; B-chain, LANQHLCGSH(10)LVEALYMVCG(20)ERGFFYYPKS(30)) and and GLP-1 (HAEGTFTSDM(10)TSYLEEKAAK(20)EFVDWLIKGR(30)PK) resemble more closely the corresponding peptides from the cane toad Bufo marinus than the peptides from any species of Rana. Cladistic analysis based upon the amino acid sequences of insulin produced a polyphyletic assemblage with the Gymnophiona nesting within an unresolved clade containing the non-ranid frogs. The data support the assertion that the amino acid sequence of PP, but not those of the other islet hormones, is of value as a molecular marker for inferring phylogenetic relationships between early tetrapod species.

Experimental model for optimization of hydrophobic interaction: chromatographic purification of glucagon.

The chromatographic behavior of the components of glucagon-containing material from bovine pancreas by hydrophobic interaction on Amberlite XAD-7 was investigated. The effect of initial ionic strength and pH of the mobile phase on selectivity was quantitatively determined. The data, obtained from 56 experiments, were used for modeling and the corresponding management of the purification process. The purified glucagon is of very high quality: total impurities are not more than 1.7% as determined by analytical HPLC. The biological activity is 1.08 IU/mg, calculated for dry substance.

Insulin and proglucagon-derived peptides from the horned frog, Ceratophrys ornata (Anura:Leptodactylidae).

Insulin and peptides derived from the processing of proglucagon have been isolated from an extract of the pancreas of the South American horned frog, Ceratophrys ornata (Leptodactylidae). Ceratophrys insulin is identical to the insulin previously isolated from the toad, Bufo marinus (Bufonidae). Ceratophrys glucagon was isolated in two molecular forms with 29- and 36-amino acid residues in approximately equal amounts. Glucagon-29 is identical to glucagon from B. marinus and from the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana (Ranidae) and contains only 1 amino acid substitution (Thr29 --> Ser) compared with glucagon from Xenopus laevis (Pipidae). Glucagon-36 comprises glucagon-29 extended from its C-terminus by Lys-Arg-Ser-Gly-Gly-Met-Ser. This extension is structurally dissimilar to the C-terminal octapeptide of mammalian oxyntomodulin and resembles more closely that found in C-terminally extended glucagons isolated from fish pancreata. Ceratophrys glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) (His-Ala-Asp-Gly-Thr-Tyr-Gln-Asn-Asp-Val10-Gln-Gln-Phe-Leu-Glu- Glu-Lys-Ala-Ala-Lys20-Glu-Phe-Ile-Asp-Trp-Leu-Ile-Lys-Gly- Lys30-Pro-Lys-Lys-Gln-Arg-Leu-Ser) contains 3 amino acid substitutions compared with the corresponding peptide from B. marinus, 8 substitutions compared with GLP-1 from R. catesbeiana, and between 4 and 11 substitutions compared with the three GLP-1 peptides identified in X. laevis proglucagon. GLP-2 was not identified in the extract of Ceratophrys pancreas. The data indicate that, despite its importance in the regulation of glucose metabolism, the primary structure of GLP-1 has been very poorly conserved during evolution, even among a single order such as the Anura.

Purification and characterization of insulin and peptides derived from proglucagon and prosomatostatin from the fruit-eating fish, the pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus.

The fruit-eating teleost fish, the pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus (Characiformes, Characidae) is classified along with the carp and the catfish in the superorder Ostariophysi. The pacu is able to survive and grow in captive conditions feeding exclusively on carbohydrates. Hormonal polypeptides in an extract of pacu Brockmann bodies were purified to homogeneity by reversed phase HPLC and their primary structures determined by automated Edman degradation. Pacu insulin contains only two substitutions, Glu-->Asp at A15 and Thr-->Ser at B24 (corresponding to B22 in mammalian insulins) compared with carp insulin. The B-chains of both insulins contain a dipeptide extension to the N-terminus and a deletion of the C-terminal residue compared with human insulin. Pacu glucagon differs from catfish glucagon by a single substitution at position 17 (Arg-->Gln. The primary structure of the 34 amino acid residue glucagon-like peptide (GLP) differs from catfish GLP only at positions 12 (Ser-->Ala) and 33 (Pro-->Gln). In common with other teleost species, the pacu expresses two somatostatin genes. Somatostatin-14, derived from preprosomatostatin-I (PSS-I), is identical to mammalian/catfish somatostatin-14. Although pacu somatostatin-II was not identified in this study, a peptide was purified that shows 67% sequence identity with residues (1-58) of catfish preprosomatostatin-II (PSS-II). This relatively high degree of sequence similarity contrasts with the fact that catfish PSS-II shows virtually no sequence identity with the corresponding PSS-II from anglerfish (Acanthopterygii) and trout (Protoacanthopterygii). A comparison of the primary structures of the islet hormones suggest that amino acid sequences may have been better conserved within the Ostariophysi than in other groups of the taxon Euteleostei that have been studied.

Multiple forms of glucagon and somatostatin isolated from the intestine of the southern-hemisphere lamprey Geotria australis.

Current views on Agnathan phylogeny favor the hypothesis that the genera of holarctic lampreys belong to a single family (Petromyzontidae) and form an interrelated progression in which Petromyzon is near to Ichthomyzon at the base of the phylogenetic tree and Lampetra is the most derived. A stock similar to that of contemporary Ichthomyzon is considered to have given rise to the southern hemisphere lamprey Geotria australis, the sole member of the Geotriidae. In the present study, two molecular forms of glucagon were isolated from an extract of G. australis intestine that differed in structure by six amino acid residues. One form shows two amino acid substitutions (Leu14 --> Met and Ala29 --> Ser) compared with the single molecular form of glucagon isolated from the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus and the second form shows three substitutions (Asp15 --> Glu, Ser16 --> Ala, Ile24 --> Thr) compared with the single glucagon isolated from the river lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis. As Petromyzon and Lampetra glucagons differ by six amino acid residues, the data suggest that a duplication of the glucagon gene occurred prior to or early in lamprey evolution. Although both genes are strongly expressed in G. australis, the expression of one gene predominates in P. marinus while that of the other gene predominates in L. fluviatilis. Previous work has shown that, in the islet organ of G. australis, preprosomatostatin is processed almost exclusively to somatostatin-33. However, the present study demonstrates that somatostatin-14 is the major molecular form in G. australis intestine with somatostatin-33 present only as a minor component. This result demonstrates a tissue-dependent pathway of posttranslational processing of preprosomatostatin in the Geotria enteropancreatic system.

Removal of N-terminal polyhistidine tags from recombinant proteins using engineered aminopeptidases.

We have developed a specific and efficient method for complete removal of polyhistidine purification tags (HisTags) from the N-termini of target proteins. The method is based on the use of the aminopeptidase dipeptidyl peptidase I (DPPI), either alone or in combination with glutamine cyclotransferase (GCT) and pyroglutamyl aminopeptidase (PGAP). In both cases, the HisTag is cleaved off by DPPI, which catalyzes a stepwise excision of a wide range of dipeptides from the N-terminus of a peptide chain. Some sequences, however, are resistant to DPPI cleavage and a number of mature proteins have nonsubstrate N-termini which protects them against digestion. For such proteins, HisTags composed of an even number of residues can be cleaved off by treatment with DPPI alone. When the target protein is unprotected against DPPI, a blocking group is generated enzymatically from a glutamine residue inserted between the HisTag and the target protein. A protein with a HisTag-Gln extension is incubated with both DPPI and GCT. As above, the polyhistidine sequence is cleaved off by DPPI, but when the glutamine residue appears in the N-terminus, it is immediately converted into a pyroglutamyl residue by an excess of GCT and further DPPI digestion is prevented. The desired sequence is finally obtained by excision of the pyroglutamyl residue with PGAP. All the enzymes employed can bind to immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) matrices, and in this paper we demonstrate a simple and highly effective process combining IMAC purification of His-tagged proteins, our aminopeptidase-based method for specific excision of HisTags and use of subtractive IMAC for removing processing enzymes. Typical recoveries were 75-90% for the enzymatic processing and subtractive IMAC. The integrated process holds promises for use in large-scale production of pharmaceutical proteins because of a simple overall design, use of robust and inexpensive matrices, and use of enzymes of either recombinant or plant origin.