Development of a suitable manufacturing process for production of a
bioactive recombinant equine chorionic gonadotropin (reCG) in CHO-K1
cells
Javier Villarraza
UNL, CONICET, FBCB (School of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences), CBL (Biotechnological Center of Litoral), Cell Culture Laboratory, Ciudad Universitaria, Ruta Nacional 168 - Km 472.4 - C.C. 242 - (S3000ZAA) Santa Fe, Argentina
Corresponding Author:[email protected]
Author ProfileMaría Celeste Rodríguez
UNL, CONICET, FBCB (School of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences), CBL (Biotechnological Center of Litoral), Cell Culture Laboratory, Ciudad Universitaria, Ruta Nacional 168 - Km 472.4 - C.C. 242 - (S3000ZAA) Santa Fe, Argentina
Author ProfilePablo Mussio
UNL, CONICET, FBCB (School of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences), CBL (Biotechnological Center of Litoral), Cell Culture Laboratory, Ciudad Universitaria, Ruta Nacional 168 - Km 472.4 - C.C. 242 - (S3000ZAA) Santa Fe, Argentina
Author ProfileDiego Fontana
UNL, CONICET, FBCB (School of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences), CBL (Biotechnological Center of Litoral), Cell Culture Laboratory, Ciudad Universitaria, Ruta Nacional 168 - Km 472.4 - C.C. 242 - (S3000ZAA) Santa Fe, Argentina
Author ProfileAbstract
Equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) is a heterodimeric glycoprotein
hormone produced by pregnant mares that has been used to improve
reproduction activity in different types of livestock. Several
strategies to produce the hormone in a recombinant way have been
reported; nevertheless, none approach has been able to produce a
recombinant eCG (reCG) with significant in vivo bioactivity or in
sufficient quantities for commercial purposes. For this reason, the only
current product available on the market consists of partially purified
preparations from serum of pregnant mares (PMSG). Herein, we describe a
highly efficient process based on third-generation lentiviral vectors as
delivery method for the production of reCG in suspension CHO-K1 cells,
with productivities above 20 IU.106 cell-1.d-1 and 70% purification
yields after one purification step. Importantly, reCG not only
demonstrated biological activity in bovine cattle but also this
bioactivity appeared to be higher than PMSG, since 140 IU of reCG were
needed to exert the same biologic effect in an ovulation synchronization
protocol compared to 400 IU of PMSG. The results obtained show that the
developed strategy represents an attractive option to produce reCG and
constitutes an auspicious alternative for the replacement of animals as
a source of PMSG.