Enhanced sialylation of recombinant human erythropoietin in Chinese hamster ovary cells by combinatorial engineering of selected genes.

Therapeutic glycoproteins with exposed galactose (Gal) residues are cleared rapidly from the bloodstream by asialoglycoprotein receptors in hepatocytes. Various approaches have been used to increase the content of sialic acid, which occupies terminal sites of N- or O-linked glycans and thereby increases the half-life of therapeutic glycoproteins. We enhanced sialylation of human erythropoietin (EPO) by genetic engineering of the sialylation pathway in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The enzyme GNE (uridine diphosphate-N-acetyl glucosamine 2-epimerase)/MNK (N-acetyl mannosamine kinase), which plays a key role in the initial two steps of sialic acid biosynthesis, is regulated by cytidine monophosphate (CMP)-sialic acid through a feedback mechanism. Since sialuria patient cells fail in regulating sialic acid biosynthesis by feedback mechanism, various sialuria-like mutated rat GNEs were established and subjected to in vitro activity assay. GNE/MNK-R263L-R266Q mutant showed 93.6% relative activity compared with wild type and did not display feedback inhibition. Genes for sialuria-mutated rat GNE/MNK, Chinese hamster CMP-sialic acid transporter and human α2,3-sialyltransferase (α2,3-ST) were transfected simultaneously into recombinant human (rh) EPO-producing CHO cells. CMP-sialic acid concentration of engineered cells was significantly (>10-fold) increased by sialuria-mutated GNE/MNK (R263L-R266Q) expression. The sialic acid content of rhEPO produced from engineered cells was 43% higher than that of control cells. Ratio of tetra-sialylated glycan of rhEPO produced from engineered cells was increased ∼32%, but ratios of asialo- and mono-sialylated glycans were decreased ∼50%, compared with control. These findings indicate that sialuria-mutated rat GNE/MNK effectively increases the intracellular CMP-sialic acid level. The newly constructed host CHO cell lines produced more highly sialylated therapeutic glycoproteins through overexpression of sialuria-mutated GNE/MNK, CMP-SAT and α2,3-ST.

Array-based analysis of secreted glycoproteins for rapid selection of a single cell producing a glycoprotein with desired glycosylation.

The therapeutic efficacy and in vivo biological function of a glycoprotein is significantly affected by its glycosylation profile. For the development of glycoproteins with therapeutic applications, selection of cell lines producing a glycoprotein with adequate glycoform is crucial. Here, we demonstrate an array-based analysis of secreted glycoproteins for rapid and efficient selection of a single cell producing a glycoprotein with desirable glycosylation. Our approach relies on microengraving and interrogation of glycoproteins produced by individual cells in a microwell array in terms of glycosylation profile as well as the produced amount. On the basis of statistical analysis of the interrogation, single cells which are predicted to produce a desired glycoprotein are selected, retrieved, and expanded. We applied the approach to human recombinant erythropoietin (rhEPO)-producing CHO cells and verified the selection of a single CHO cell that produces rhEPO with a high sialylation degree. Human erythropoietin (hEPO) bearing highly sialylated oligosaccharide was shown to display a much longer plasma half-life, resulting in high therapeutic efficacy. This method may find widespread use in the clonal selection for the production of other glycoproteins with specific glycosylation as well as analysis of the heterogeneity in cell populations in a high-throughput manner.

Enhanced sialylation of recombinant erythropoietin in genetically engineered Chinese-hamster ovary cells.

Sialic acid, the terminal sugar in N-linked complex glycans, is usually found in glycoproteins and plays a major role in determining the circulatory lifespan of glycoproteins. In the present study we attempted to enhance the sialylation of recombinant EPO (erythropoietin) in CHO (Chinese-hamster ovary) cells. To enhance EPO sialylation, we introduced human alpha2,3-ST (alpha2,3-sialyltransferase) and CMP-SAS (CMP-sialic acid synthase) into recombinant human EPO-producing CHO cells. The sialylation of EPO was increased by the expression of alpha2,3-ST alone. Although the co-expression of alpha2,3-ST and CMP-SAS did not further increase sialylation, an increase in the intracellular pool of CMP-sialic acid was noted. On the basis of these observations, it was postulated that the transport capacity of CMP-sialic acid into the Golgi lumen was limited, thereby causing the reduced availability of CMP-sialic acid substrate for sialylation. Therefore, we co-expressed human alpha2,3-ST and CMP-SAS, as well as overexpress Chinese hamster CMP-sialic acid transporter (CMP-SAT) in CHO cells, which produced recombinant human EPO. When alpha2,3-ST, CMP-SAS, and CMP-SAT were overexpressed in CHO cells, there was a corresponding increase in sialylation compared with the co-expression of alpha2,3-ST and CMP-SAS. The present study provides a useful strategy for enhancing the sialylation of therapeutic glycoproteins produced in CHO cells.

Enhanced sialylation of recombinant erythropoietin in CHO cells by human glycosyltransferase expression.

Sialylation, the attachment of sialic acid residues to a protein, can affect the biological activity and in vivo circulatory half-life of glycoproteins. Human alpha2,3- sialyltransferase (alpha2,3-ST) and beta1,4-galactosyltransferase (beta1,4-GT) are responsible for terminal sialylation and galactosylation, respectively. Enhanced sialylation of human erythropoietin (EPO) by the expression of alpha2,3-ST and beta1,4-GT was achieved using recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells (EC1). The sialic acid content and sialylation of N-glycans were evaluated by HPLC. When alpha2,3-ST was expressed in CHO cells (EC1-ST2), the sialic acid content (moles of sialic acid/mole of EPO) increased from 6.7 to 7.5. In addition, the amount of trisialylated glycans increased from 17.3% to 26.1%. When alpha2,3-ST and beta1,4-GT were coexpressed in CHO cells (EC1-GTST15), the degree of sialylation was greater than that in EC1-ST2 cells. In the case of EC1-GTST15 cells, the sialic acid content increased to 8.2 and the proportion of trisialylated glycans was markedly increased from 17.3% to 35.5%. Interestingly, the amount of asialoglycans decreased only in the case of GTST15 cells (21.4% to 14.2%). These results show that coexpression of alpha2,3- ST and beta1,4-GT is more effective than the expression of alpha2,3-ST alone. Coexpression of alpha2,3-ST and beta1,4-GT did not affect CHO cell growth and metabolism or EPO production. Thus, coexpression of alpha2,3-ST and beta1,4-GT may be beneficial for producing therapeutic glycoproteins with enhanced sialylation in CHO cells.