RESUMO
We describe the expression of recombinant canstatin from stably transformed Bombyx mori Bm5 (Bm5) cells. Recombinant canstatin was secreted into a culture medium with a molecular mass of approximately 29 kDa. Densitometric scanning showed that the secreted canstatin accounted for approximately 91% of the total canstatin production. Recombinant canstatin was also purified to homogeneity using a simple one-step Ni-NTA affinity fractionation. The identity of the purified protein was confirmed as human canstatin by nano-LC-MS/MS analysis. Purified recombinant canstatin inhibited human endothelial cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. The concentration at half-maximum inhibition (ED50) for recombinant canstatin expressed in stably transformed Bm5 cells was approximately 0.64 mg/ml. A maximum production level of 11 mg/l recombinant canstatin was obtained in a T-flask culture of Bm5 cells after 6 days of incubation.