Transcriptomic studies on Purpureocillium lilacinum reveal molecular mechanisms of response to fluconazole and itraconazole.

Filamentous fungus Purpureocillium lilacinum is an emerging pathogen that infects immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals and is resistant to several azole molecules. Although azole resistance mechanisms are well studied in Aspergillus sp. and Candida sp., there are no studies to date reporting P. lilacinum molecular response to these molecules. The aim of this study was to describe P. lilacinum molecular mechanisms involved in antifungal response against fluconazole and itraconazole. Transcriptomic analyses showed that gene expression modulation takes place when P. lilacinum is challenged for 12 h with fluconazole (64 µg/mL) or itraconazole (16 µg/mL). The antifungals acted on the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway, and two homologous genes coding for cytochrome P450 51 enzymes were upregulated. Genes coding for efflux pumps, such as the major facilitator superfamily transporter, also displayed increased expression in the treated samples. We propose that P. lilacinum develops antifungal responses by raising the expression levels of cytochrome P450 enzymes and efflux pumps. Such modulation could confer P. lilacinum high levels of target enzymes and could lead to the constant withdrawal of antifungals, which would force an increase in the administration of antifungal medications to achieve fungal morbidity or mortality. The findings in this work could aid in the decision-making for treatment strategies in cases of P. lilacinum infection.

Human Cells as Platform to Produce Gamma-Carboxylated Proteins.

The gamma-carboxylated proteins belong to a family of proteins that depend on vitamin K for normal biosynthesis. The major representative gamma-carboxylated proteins are the coagulation system proteins, for example, factor VII, factor IX, factor X, prothrombin, and proteins C, S, and Z. These molecules have harbored posttranslational modifications, such as glycosylation and gamma-carboxylation, and for this reason they need to be produced in mammalian cell lines. Human cells lines have emerged as the most promising alternative to the production of gamma-carboxylated proteins. In this chapter, the methods to generate human cells as a platform to produce gamma-carboxylated proteins, for example the coagulation factors VII and IX, are presented. From the cell line modification up to the vitamin K adaptation of the produced cells is described in the protocols presented in this chapter.

Significant differences in integration sites of Moloney murine leukemia virus/Moloney murine sarcoma virus retroviral vector carrying recombinant coagulation factor IX in two human cell lines.

Ligation-mediated-PCR was performed followed by the mapping of 177 and 150 integration sites from HepG2 and Hek293 transduced with chimera vector carrying recombinant human Factor IX (rhFIX) cDNA, respectively. The sequences were analyzed for chromosome preference, CpG, transcription start site (TSS), repetitive elements, fragile sites and target genes. In HepG2, rhFIX was had an increased preference for chromosomes 6 and 17; the median distance to the nearest CpG islands was 15,240 base pairs and 37 % of the integrations occurred in RefSeq genes. In Hek293, rhFIX had an increased preference for chromosome 5; the median distance to the nearest CpG islands was 209,100 base pairs and 74 % of the integrations occurred in RefSeq genes. The integrations in both cell lines were distant from the TSS. The integration patterns associated with this vector are different in each cell line.

Recombinant glycoprotein production in human cell lines.

The most important properties of a protein are determined by its primary structure, its amino acid sequence. However, protein features can be also modified by a large number of posttranslational modifications. These modifications can occur during or after the synthesis process, and glycosylation appears as the most common posttranslational modification. It is estimated that 50% of human proteins have some kind of glycosylation, which has a key role in maintaining the structure, stability, and function of the protein. Besides, glycostructures can also influence the pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity of the protein. Although the glycosylation process is a conserved mechanism that occurs in yeast, plants, and animals, several studies have demonstrated significant differences in the glycosylation pattern in recombinant proteins expressed in mammalian, yeast, and insect cells. Thus, currently, important efforts are being done to improve the systems for the expression of recombinant glycosylated proteins. Among the different mammalian cell lines used for the production of recombinant proteins, a significant difference in the glycosylation pattern that can alter the production and/or activity of the protein exists. In this context, human cell lines have emerged as a new alternative for the production of human therapeutic proteins, since they are able to produce recombinant proteins with posttranslational modifications similar to its natural counterpart and reduce potential immunogenic reactions against nonhuman epitopes. This chapter describes the steps necessary to produce a recombinant glycoprotein in a human cell line in small scale and also in bioreactors.

Patents in therapeutic recombinant protein production using mammalian cells.

The industrial production of recombinant proteins preferentially requires the generation of stable cell lines expressing proteins in a quick, relatively facile, and a reproducible manner. Different methods are used to insert exogenous DNA into the host cell, and choosing the appropriate producing cell is of paramount importance for the efficient production and quality of the recombinant protein. This review addresses the advances in recombinant protein production in mammalian cell lines, according to key patents from the last 30 years.