Cell Expression System (cell + expression_system)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


C-terminal truncated cannabinoid receptor 1 coexpressed with G protein trimer in Sf9 cells exists in a precoupled state and shows constitutive activity

FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 23 2007
Chandramouli Reddy Chillakuri
We have investigated the existence of a precoupled form of the distal C-terminal truncated cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1-417) and heterotrimeric G proteins in a heterologous insect cell expression system. CB1-417 showed higher production levels than the full-length receptor. The production levels obtained in our expression system were double the values reported in the literature. We also observed that at least the distal C-terminus of the receptor was not involved in receptor dimerization, as was predicted in the literature. Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer, we found that CB1-417 and G,i1,1,2 proteins were colocalized in the cells. GTP,S binding assays with the Sf9 cell membranes containing CB1-417 and the G protein trimer showed that the receptor could constitutively activate the G,i1 protein in the absence of agonists. A CB1-specific antagonist (SR 141716A) inhibited this constitutive activity of the truncated receptor. We found that the CB1-417/G,i1,1,2 complex could be solubilized from Sf9 cell membranes and coimmunoprecipitated. In this study, we have proven that the receptor and G proteins can be coexpressed in higher yields using Sf9 cells, and that the protein complex is stable in detergent solution. Thus, our system can be used to produce sufficient quantities of the protein complex to start structural studies. [source]


Dissecting the pathogenic mechanisms of mutations in the pore region of the human cone photoreceptor cyclic nucleotide-gated channel,

HUMAN MUTATION, Issue 7 2010
Katja Koeppen
Abstract The CNGA3 gene encodes the A3 subunit of the cone photoreceptor cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channel, an essential component of the phototransduction cascade. Certain mutations in CNGA3 cause autosomal recessive achromatopsia, a retinal disorder characterized by severely reduced visual acuity, lack of color discrimination, photophobia, and nystagmus. We identified three novel mutations in the pore-forming region of CNGA3 (L363P, G367V, and E376K) in patients diagnosed with achromatopsia. We assessed the expression and function of channels with these three new and two previously described mutations (S341P and P372S) in a heterologous HEK293 cell expression system using Western blot, subcellular localization on the basis of immunocytochemistry, calcium imaging, and patch clamp recordings. In this first comparative functional analysis of disease-associated mutations in the pore of a CNG channel, we found impaired surface expression of S341P, L363P, and P372S mutants and reduced macroscopic currents for channels with the mutations S341P, G367V, and E376K. Calcium imaging and patch clamp experiments after incubation at 37°C revealed nonfunctional homo- and heteromeric channels in all five mutants, but incubation at 27°C combined with coexpression of the B3 subunit restored residual function of channels with the mutations S341P, G367V, and E376K. Hum Mutat 31:830,839, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Optimization of chimeric HIV-1 virus-like particle production in a baculovirus-insect cell expression system

BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 4 2009
Sirika Pillay
Abstract A baculovirus-insect cell expression system potentially provides the means to produce prophylactic HIV-1 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines inexpensively and in large quantities. However, the system must be optimized to maximize yields and increase process efficiency. In this study, we optimized the production of two novel, chimeric HIV-1 VLP vaccine candidates (GagRT and GagTN) in insect cells. This was done by monitoring the effects of four specific factors on VLP expression: these were insect cell line, cell density, multiplicity of infection (MOI), and infection time. The use of western blots, Gag p24 ELISA, and four-factorial ANOVA allowed the determination of the most favorable conditions for chimeric VLP production, as well as which factors affected VLP expression most significantly. Both VLP vaccine candidates favored similar optimal conditions, demonstrating higher yields of VLPs when produced in the Trichoplusia ni ProÔ insect cell line, at a cell density of 1 × 106 cells/mL, and an infection time of 96 h post infection. It was found that cell density and infection time were major influencing factors, but that MOI did not affect VLP expression significantly. This work provides a potentially valuable guideline for HIV-1 protein vaccine optimization, as well as for general optimization of a baculovirus-based expression system to produce complex recombinant proteins. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2009 [source]


Evaluation of Production Parameters with the Vaccinia Virus Expression System Using Microcarrier Attached HeLa Cells

BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 2 2005
Nicole A. Bleckwenn
Parameters that affect production of the recombinant reporter protein, EGFP, in the T7 promoter based VOTE vaccinia virus-HeLa cell expression system were examined. Length of infection phase, inducer concentration, and timing of its addition relative to infection were evaluated in 6-well plate monolayer cultures. One hour infection with 1.0 mM IPTG added at the time of infection provided a robust process. For larger scale experiments, anchorage-dependent HeLa cells were grown on 5 g/L Cytodex 3 microcarriers. The change to this dynamic culture environment, with cell-covered microcarriers suspended in culture medium in spinner flasks, suggested a re-examination of the multiplicity of infection (MOI) for this culture type that indicated a need for an increase in the number of virus particles per cell to 5.0, higher than that needed for complete infection in monolayer tissue flask culture. Additionally, dissolved oxygen level and temperature during the protein production phase were evaluated for their effect on EGFP expression in microcarrier spinner flask culture. Both increased dissolved oxygen, based on surface area to volume (SA/V) adjustments, and decreased temperature from 37 to 31 °C showed increases in EGFP production over the course of the production phase. The level of production achieved with this system reached approximately 17 ,g EGFP/106 infected cells. [source]


Odor discrimination by G protein-coupled olfactory receptors

MICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE, Issue 3 2002
Kazushige Touhara
Abstract The vertebrate olfactory system possesses a remarkable capacity to recognize and discriminate a variety of odorants by sending the coding information from peripheral olfactory sensory neurons in the olfactory epithelium to the olfactory bulb of the brain. The recognition of odorants appear to be mediated by a G protein-coupled receptor superfamily that consists of ,1% of total genes in vertebrates. Since the first discovery of the olfactory receptor gene superfamily in the rat, similar chemosensory receptors have been found in various species across different phyla. The functions of these receptors, however, had been uncharacterized until the recently successful functional expression and ligand screening of some olfactory receptors in various cell expression systems. The functional cloning of odorant receptors from single olfactory neurons allowed for the identification of multiple receptors that recognized a particular odorant of interest. Reconstitution of the odorant responses demonstrated that odorant receptors recognized various structurally-related odorant molecules with a specific molecular receptive range, and that odor discrimination is established based on a combinatorial receptor code model in which the identities of different odorants are encoded by a combination of odorant receptors. The receptor code for an odorant changes at different odorant concentrations, consistent with our experience that perceived quality of an odorant changes at different concentrations. The molecular bases of odor discrimination at the level of olfactory receptors appear to correlate well with the receptive field in the olfactory bulb where the input signal is further processed to create the specific odor maps. Microsc. Res. Tech. 58:135,141, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Identification of genes encoding N -glycan processing ,- N -acetylglucosaminidases in Trichoplusia ni and Bombyx mori: Implications for glycoengineering of baculovirus expression systems

BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 1 2010
Christoph Geisler
Abstract Glycoproteins produced by non-engineered insects or insect cell lines characteristically bear truncated, paucimannose N -glycans in place of the complex N -glycans produced by mammalian cells. A key reason for this difference is the presence of a highly specific N -glycan processing ,- N -acetylglucosaminidase in insect, but not in mammalian systems. Thus, reducing or abolishing this enzyme could enhance the ability of glycoengineered insects or insect cell lines to produce complex N -glycans. Of the three insect species routinely used for recombinant glycoprotein production, the processing ,- N -acetylglucosaminidase gene has been isolated only from Spodoptera frugiperda. Thus, the purpose of this study was to isolate and characterize the genes encoding this important processing enzyme from the other two species, Bombyx mori and Trichoplusia ni. Bioinformatic analyses of putative processing ,- N -acetylglucosaminidase genes isolated from these two species indicated that each encoded a product that was, indeed, more similar to processing ,- N -acetylglucosaminidases than degradative or chitinolytic ,- N -acetylglucosaminidases. In addition, over-expression of each of these genes induced an enzyme activity with the substrate specificity characteristic of processing, but not degradative or chitinolytic enzymes. Together, these results demonstrated that the processing ,- N -acetylglucosaminidase genes had been successfully isolated from Trichoplusia ni and Bombyx mori. The identification of these genes has the potential to facilitate further glycoengineering of baculovirus-insect cell expression systems for the production of glycosylated proteins. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2010 [source]