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Macpherson CV, Daisley BA, Mallory E, Allen-Vercoe E. The untapped potential of cell culture in disentangling insect-microbial relationships. MICROBIOME RESEARCH REPORTS 2024; 3:20. [PMID: 38841412 PMCID: PMC11149091 DOI: 10.20517/mrr.2023.66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Cell culture is a powerful technique for the investigation of molecular mechanisms fundamental to health and disease in a diverse array of organisms. Cell lines offer several advantages, namely their simplistic approach and high degree of reproducibility. One field where cell culture has proven particularly useful is the study of the microbiome, where cell culture has led to the illumination of microbial influences on host immunity, nutrition, and physiology. Thus far, researchers have focused cell culture work predominantly on humans, but the growing field of insect microbiome research stands to benefit greatly from its application. Insects constitute one of Earth's most diverse and ancient life forms and, just as with humans, possess microbiomes with great significance to their health. Insects, which play critical roles in supporting food security and ecological stability, are facing increasing threats from agricultural intensification, climate change, and pesticide use. As the microbiome is closely tied to host health, gaining a more robust understanding is of increasing importance. In this review, we assert that the cultivation and utilization of insect gut cell lines in microbiome research will bridge critical knowledge gaps essential for informing insect management practices in a world under pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Emma Allen-Vercoe
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G 2W1, ON, Canada
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2
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Rangel-Núñez JC, Ibarra JE, Del Rincón-Castro MC. Transcriptomics and interactomics during the primary infection of an SfNPV baculovirus on Spodoptera frugiperda larvae. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1291433. [PMID: 38076451 PMCID: PMC10703053 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1291433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, has been the most devastating pest of corn as well as of other crops in America, and more recently in Africa and Asia. The development of resistance to chemical insecticides led the search for environmentally friendly biological alternatives such as baculoviruses. This study focuses on the primary infection of the baculovirus SfNPV-Ar in the FAW's midgut epithelium, by analyzing the differential expression of transcripts in excised midguts at 6, 12, and 24 h post-infection (hpi), and predicted their interactions. Interaction of viral factors with the infected midgut tissue could alters various cellular processes, such as the apoptotic system due to the up-regulation observed of FABP at 6 hpi and of HSP90 at 24 hpi, along with the down-regulated PRX at 6 hpi and FABP transcripts between 12 and 24 hpi. Changes in transcript regulation could affect the cellular architecture of infected cells due to up-regulation of ARP 2/3 at 6 and 12 hpi, followed by down-regulation at 24 hpi. In relation to protein folding proteins, HSP90 was up-regulated at 24 hpi and PDI was down-regulated between 6 and 12 hpi. With respect to metabolism and cellular transport, AcilBP and ATPS0 were up regulated at 6 hpi and 12 hpi, respectively. In reference to transcription and translation up-regulation of RPL11 at 6 hpi and of FPN32 and RPL19 at 24 hpi was detected, as well as the down-regulation of RPL19 at 6 hpi, of PDI and RPL7 at 12 hpi, and of FABP at 24 hpi. In conclusion, gene regulation induced by viral infection could be related to the cytoskeleton and cellular metabolism as well as to oxidative stress, apoptosis, protein folding, translation, and ribosomal structure. The results presented in this work are an approach to understanding how the virus takes control of the general metabolism of the insect host during the primary infection period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonatan Carmen Rangel-Núñez
- Posgrado en Biociencias, Departamento de Alimentos, División Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Guanajuato, Irapuato, Mexico
| | - Jorge E. Ibarra
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioquímica, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV) Unidad Irapuato, Irapuato, Mexico
| | - Ma. Cristina Del Rincón-Castro
- Posgrado en Biociencias, Departamento de Alimentos, División Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Guanajuato, Irapuato, Mexico
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3
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Virgolini N, Silvano M, Hagan R, Correia R, Alves PM, Clarke C, Roldão A, Isidro IA. Impact of dual-baculovirus infection on the Sf9 insect cell transcriptome during rAAV production using single-cell RNA-seq. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:2588-2600. [PMID: 36919374 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
The insect cell-baculovirus expression vector system (IC-BEVS) has shown to be a powerful platform to produce complex biopharmaceutical products, such as recombinant proteins and virus-like particles. More recently, IC-BEVS has also been used as an alternative to produce recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV). However, little is known about the variability of insect cell populations and the potential effect of heterogeneity (e.g., stochastic infection process and differences in infection kinetics) on product titer and/or quality. In this study, transcriptomics analysis of Sf9 insect cells during the production of rAAV of serotype 2 (rAAV2) using a low multiplicity of infection, dual-baculovirus system was performed via single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq). Before infection, the principal source of variability in Sf9 insect cells was associated with the cell cycle. Over the course of infection, an increase in transcriptional heterogeneity was detected, which was linked to the expression of baculovirus genes as well as to differences in rAAV transgenes (rep, cap and gfp) expression. Noteworthy, at 24 h post-infection, only 29.4% of cells enclosed all three necessary rAAV transgenes to produce packed rAAV2 particles, indicating limitations of the dual-baculovirus system. In addition, the trajectory analysis herein performed highlighted that biological processes such as protein folding, metabolic processes, translation, and stress response have been significantly altered upon infection. Overall, this work reports the first application of scRNA-seq to the IC-BEVS and highlights significant variations in individual cells within the population, providing insight into the rational cell and process engineering toward improved rAAV2 production in IC-BEVS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaus Virgolini
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Marco Silvano
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ryan Hagan
- National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, Dublin, Belfield, Ireland
| | - Ricardo Correia
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paula M Alves
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Colin Clarke
- National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, Dublin, Belfield, Ireland
| | - António Roldão
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Inês A Isidro
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
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4
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Hausjell CS, Klausberger M, Ernst W, Grabherr R. Evaluation of an inducible knockout system in insect cells based on co-infection and CRISPR/Cas9. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289178. [PMID: 37498808 PMCID: PMC10374150 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to comparably high product titers and low production costs, the baculovirus/insect cell expression system is considered a versatile production platform in the biopharmaceutical industry. Its excellence in producing complex multimeric protein assemblies, including virus-like particles (VLPs), which are considered promising vaccine candidates to counter emerging viral threats, made the system even more attractive. However, the co-formation of budded baculovirus during VLP production poses a severe challenge to downstream processing. In order to reduce the amount of budded baculovirus in the expression supernatant we developed an inducible knockout system based on CRISPR/Cas9 and co-infection with two baculoviral vectors: one bringing along the Cas9 nuclease and the other one having incorporated the sequence for sgRNA expression. With our set-up high titer viruses can be generated separately, as only when both viruses infect cells simultaneously a knockout can occur. When budding essential genes gp64 and vp80 were targeted for knockout, we measured a reduction in baculovirus titer by over 90%. However, as a consequence, we also determined lower overall eYFP fluorescence intensity showing reduced recombinant protein production, indicating that further improvements in engineering as well as purification are required in order to ultimately minimize costs and timeframes for vaccine production utilizing the baculovirus/insect cell expression system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Sophie Hausjell
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Miriam Klausberger
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Ernst
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Reingard Grabherr
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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5
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Virgolini N, Hagan R, Correia R, Silvano M, Fernandes S, Alves PM, Clarke C, Roldão A, Isidro IA. Transcriptome analysis of Sf9 insect cells during production of recombinant Adeno-associated virus. Biotechnol J 2023; 18:e2200466. [PMID: 36401834 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202200466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The insect cell-baculovirus expression vector system (IC-BEVS) has emerged as an alternative time- and cost-efficient production platform for recombinant Adeno-associated virus (AAV) for gene therapy. However, a better understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms of IC-BEVS is fundamental to further optimize this expression system toward increased product titer and quality. Here, gene expression of Sf9 insect cells producing recombinant AAV through a dual baculovirus expression system, with low multiplicity of infection (MOI), was profiled by RNA-seq. An 8-fold increase in reads mapping to either baculovirus or AAV transgene sequences was observed between 24 and 48 h post-infection (hpi), confirming a take-over of the host cell transcriptome by the baculovirus. A total of 336 and 4784 genes were identified as differentially expressed at 24 hpi (vs non-infected cells) and at 48 hpi (vs. infected cells at 24 hpi), respectively, including dronc, birc5/iap5, and prp1. Functional annotation found biological processes such as cell cycle, cell growth, protein folding, and cellular amino acid metabolic processes enriched along infection. This work uncovers transcriptional changes in Sf9 in response to baculovirus infection, which provide new insights into cell and/or metabolic engineering targets that can be leveraged for rational bioprocess engineering of IC-BEVS for AAV production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaus Virgolini
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal.,ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ryan Hagan
- National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Dublin, Ireland.,School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ricardo Correia
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal.,ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Marco Silvano
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal.,ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Sofia Fernandes
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal.,ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paula M Alves
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal.,ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Colin Clarke
- National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Dublin, Ireland.,School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - António Roldão
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal.,ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Inês A Isidro
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal.,ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
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6
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Hausjell CS, Ernst W, Grünwald-Gruber C, Arcalis E, Grabherr R. Quantitative proteomic analysis of extracellular vesicles in response to baculovirus infection of a Trichoplusia ni cell line. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281060. [PMID: 36716331 PMCID: PMC9886248 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to its outstanding suitability to produce complex biopharmaceutical products including virus-like particles and subunit vaccines, the baculovirus/insect cell expression system has developed into a highly popular production platform in the biotechnological industry. For high productivity, virus-cell communication and an efficient spreading of the viral infection are crucial, and, in this context, extracellular vesicles (EVs) might play a significant role. EVs are small particles, utilized by cells to transfer biologically active compounds such as proteins, lipids as well as nucleic acids to recipient cells for intracellular communication. Studies in mammalian cells showed that the release of EVs is altered in response to infection with many viruses, ultimately either limiting or fostering infection spreading. In this study we isolated and characterized EVs, from both uninfected and baculovirus infected Tnms42 insect cells. Via quantitative proteomic analysis we identified more than 3000 T. ni proteins in Tnms42 cell derived EVs, of which more than 400 were significantly differentially abundant upon baculovirus infection. Subsequent gene set enrichment analysis revealed a depletion of proteins related to the extracellular matrix in EVs from infected cultures. Our findings show a significant change of EV protein cargo upon baculovirus infection, suggesting a major role of EVs as stress markers. Our study might serve in designing new tools for process monitoring and control to further improve biopharmaceutical production within the baculovirus/insect cell expression system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Sophie Hausjell
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Ernst
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Clemens Grünwald-Gruber
- Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elsa Arcalis
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Reingard Grabherr
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
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Bruder MR, Aucoin MG. Utility of Alternative Promoters for Foreign Gene Expression Using the Baculovirus Expression Vector System. Viruses 2022; 14:v14122670. [PMID: 36560674 PMCID: PMC9786725 DOI: 10.3390/v14122670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is a widely used platform for recombinant protein production for use in a wide variety of applications. Of particular interest is production of virus-like particles (VLPs), which consist of multiple viral proteins that self-assemble in strict stoichiometric ratios to mimic the structure of a virus but lacks its genetic material, while a significant amount of effort has been spent on optimizing expression ratios by co-infecting cells with multiple recombinant BEVs and modulating different process parameters, co-expressing multiple foreign genes from a single rBEV may offer more promise. However, there is currently a lack of promoters available with which to optimize co-expression of each foreign gene. To address this, previously published transcriptome data was used to identify promoters that have incrementally lower expression profiles and compared by expressing model cytoplasmic and secreted proteins. Bioinformatics was also used to identify sequence determinants that may be important for late gene transcription regulation, and translation initiation. The identified promoters and bioinformatics analyses may be useful for optimizing expression of foreign genes in the BEVS.
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Targeted Metabolic Analysis and MFA of Insect Cells Expressing Influenza HA-VLP. Processes (Basel) 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/pr10112283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Virus-like particles (VLPs) are versatile vaccine carriers for conferring broad protection against influenza by enabling high-level display of multiple hemagglutinin (HA) strains within the same particle construct. The insect cell-baculovirus expression vector system (IC-BEVS) is amongst the most suitable platforms for VLP expression; however, productivities vary greatly with particle complexity (i.e., valency) and the HA strain(s) to be expressed. Understanding the metabolic signatures of insect cells producing different HA-VLPs could help dissect the factors contributing to such fluctuations. In this study, the metabolic traces of insect cells during production of HA-VLPs with different valences and comprising HA strains from different groups/subtypes were assessed using targeted metabolic analysis and metabolic flux analysis. A total of 27 different HA-VLP variants were initially expressed, with titers varying from 32 to 512 HA titer/mL. Metabolic analysis of cells during the production of a subset of HA-VLPs distinct for each category (i.e., group 1 vs. 2, monovalent vs. multivalent) revealed that (i) expression of group-2 VLPs is more challenging than for group-1 ones; (ii) higher metabolic rates are not correlated with higher VLP expression; and (iii) specific metabolites (besides glucose and glutamine) are critical for central carbon metabolism during VLPs expression, e.g., asparagine, serine, glycine, and leucine. Principal component analysis of specific production/consumption rates suggests that HA group/subtype, rather than VLP valency, is the driving factor leading to differences during influenza HA-VLPs production. Nonetheless, no apparent correlation between a given metabolic footprint and expression of specific HA variant and/or VLP design could be derived. Overall, this work gives insights on the metabolic profile of insect High Five cells during the production of different HA-VLPs variants and highlights the importance of understanding the metabolic mechanisms that may play a role on this system’s productivity.
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Silvano M, Correia R, Virgolini N, Clarke C, Alves PM, Isidro IA, Roldão A. Gene Expression Analysis of Adapted Insect Cells during Influenza VLP Production Using RNA-Sequencing. Viruses 2022; 14:v14102238. [PMID: 36298794 PMCID: PMC9609815 DOI: 10.3390/v14102238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptive laboratory evolution has been used to improve production of influenza hemagglutinin (HA)-displaying virus-like particles (VLPs) in insect cells. However, little is known about the underlying biological mechanisms promoting higher HA-VLP expression in such adapted cell lines. In this article, we present a study of gene expression patterns associated with high-producer insect High Five cells adapted to neutral pH, in comparison to non-adapted cells, during expression of influenza HA-VLPs. RNA-seq shows a decrease in the amount of reads mapping to host cell genomes along infection, and an increase in those mapping to baculovirus and transgenes. A total of 1742 host cell genes were found differentially expressed between adapted and non-adapted cells throughout infection, 474 of those being either up- or down-regulated at both time points evaluated (12 and 24 h post-infection). Interestingly, while host cell genes were found up- and down-regulated in an approximately 1:1 ratio, all differentially expressed baculovirus genes were found to be down-regulated in infected adapted cells. Pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes revealed enrichment of ribosome biosynthesis and carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid metabolism. In addition, oxidative phosphorylation and protein folding, sorting and degradation pathways were also found to be overrepresented. These findings contribute to our knowledge of biological mechanisms of insect cells during baculovirus-mediated transient expression and will assist the identification of potential engineering targets to increase recombinant protein production in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Silvano
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Correia
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Nikolaus Virgolini
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Colin Clarke
- NIBRT, National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Fosters Avenue, Blackrock, Co., A94 X099 Dublin, Ireland
- School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Paula M. Alves
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Inês A. Isidro
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - António Roldão
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2780-901 Oeiras, Portugal
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
- Correspondence:
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10
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Hong M, Li T, Xue W, Zhang S, Cui L, Wang H, Zhang Y, Zhou L, Gu Y, Xia N, Li S. Genetic engineering of baculovirus-insect cell system to improve protein production. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:994743. [PMID: 36204465 PMCID: PMC9530357 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.994743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Baculovirus Expression Vector System (BEVS), a mature foreign protein expression platform, has been available for decades, and has been effectively used in vaccine production, gene therapy, and a host of other applications. To date, eleven BEVS-derived products have been approved for use, including four human vaccines [Cervarix against cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), Flublok and Flublok Quadrivalent against seasonal influenza, Nuvaxovid/Covovax against COVID-19], two human therapeutics [Provenge against prostate cancer and Glybera against hereditary lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPLD)] and five veterinary vaccines (Porcilis Pesti, BAYOVAC CSF E2, Circumvent PCV, Ingelvac CircoFLEX and Porcilis PCV). The BEVS has many advantages, including high safety, ease of operation and adaptable for serum-free culture. It also produces properly folded proteins with correct post-translational modifications, and can accommodate multi-gene– or large gene insertions. However, there remain some challenges with this system, including unstable expression and reduced levels of protein glycosylation. As the demand for biotechnology increases, there has been a concomitant effort into optimizing yield, stability and protein glycosylation through genetic engineering and the manipulation of baculovirus vector and host cells. In this review, we summarize the strategies and technological advances of BEVS in recent years and explore how this will be used to inform the further development and application of this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minqing Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Tingting Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Wenhui Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Sibo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Lingyan Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Hong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Yuyun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Lizhi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Ying Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
| | - Ningshao Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
- The Research Unit of Frontier Technology of Structural Vaccinology of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Xiamen, China
| | - Shaowei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Life Sciences, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, Xiamen, China
- *Correspondence: Shaowei Li,
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11
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Zhang X, Zhao K, Lan L, Shi N, Nan H, Shi Y, Xu X, Chen H. Improvement of protein production by engineering a novel antiapoptotic baculovirus vector to suppress the expression of Sf-caspase-1 and Tn-caspase-1. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 118:2977-2989. [PMID: 33990946 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is an attractive manufacturing platform for recombinant protein production in insect cells. However, baculovirus infection commonly induces host apoptosis in 3-4 days which would subsequently terminate the protein expression. Previous studies have proved that protein production by BEVS can be elevated in apoptosis-suppressed insect cells. We also developed a baculovirus vector in our previous report to inhibit the apoptosis and improve protein production in Sf9 cells. In this study, we designed five short hairpin RNA (shRNA) expression cassettes targeting a conserved region in Spodoptera frugiperda caspase-1 (Sf-caspase-1) and Trichoplusia ni caspase-1 (Tn-caspase-1), and found that introduction of C to T mutations within the stem region of the expression cassette was beneficial for the heterologous protein expression. One of the improved shRNA expression cassettes was knocked into a bacmid with the deletion of several nonessential genes. The novel baculovirus vector demonstrated the ability to suppress cell apoptosis in both Sf9 and High Five cells, and exhibited superior recombinant protein productivity of intracellularly expressed GFP and firefly luciferase and secreted glycoprotein OD-Fc. The antiapoptotic baculovirus vector developed in this study could serve as a useful tool for the protein production in scientific research and pharmaceutical industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyue Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.,R&D Department, Shaanxi Bacmid Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Kaixia Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lan Lan
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Na Shi
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hao Nan
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yanan Shi
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaodong Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hongying Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
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12
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Klausberger M, Duerkop M, Haslacher H, Wozniak-Knopp G, Cserjan-Puschmann M, Perkmann T, Lingg N, Aguilar PP, Laurent E, De Vos J, Hofner M, Holzer B, Stadler M, Manhart G, Vierlinger K, Egger M, Milchram L, Gludovacz E, Marx N, Köppl C, Tauer C, Beck J, Maresch D, Grünwald-Gruber C, Strobl F, Satzer P, Stadlmayr G, Vavra U, Huber J, Wahrmann M, Eskandary F, Breyer MK, Sieghart D, Quehenberger P, Leitner G, Strassl R, Egger AE, Irsara C, Griesmacher A, Hoermann G, Weiss G, Bellmann-Weiler R, Loeffler-Ragg J, Borth N, Strasser R, Jungbauer A, Hahn R, Mairhofer J, Hartmann B, Binder NB, Striedner G, Mach L, Weinhäusel A, Dieplinger B, Grebien F, Gerner W, Binder CJ, Grabherr R. A comprehensive antigen production and characterisation study for easy-to-implement, specific and quantitative SARS-CoV-2 serotests. EBioMedicine 2021; 67:103348. [PMID: 33906067 PMCID: PMC8099623 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antibody tests are essential tools to investigate humoral immunity following SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination. While first-generation antibody tests have primarily provided qualitative results, accurate seroprevalence studies and tracking of antibody levels over time require highly specific, sensitive and quantitative test setups. METHODS We have developed two quantitative, easy-to-implement SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests, based on the spike receptor binding domain and the nucleocapsid protein. Comprehensive evaluation of antigens from several biotechnological platforms enabled the identification of superior antigen designs for reliable serodiagnostic. Cut-off modelling based on unprecedented large and heterogeneous multicentric validation cohorts allowed us to define optimal thresholds for the tests' broad applications in different aspects of clinical use, such as seroprevalence studies and convalescent plasma donor qualification. FINDINGS Both developed serotests individually performed similarly-well as fully-automated CE-marked test systems. Our described sensitivity-improved orthogonal test approach assures highest specificity (99.8%); thereby enabling robust serodiagnosis in low-prevalence settings with simple test formats. The inclusion of a calibrator permits accurate quantitative monitoring of antibody concentrations in samples collected at different time points during the acute and convalescent phase of COVID-19 and disclosed antibody level thresholds that correlate well with robust neutralization of authentic SARS-CoV-2 virus. INTERPRETATION We demonstrate that antigen source and purity strongly impact serotest performance. Comprehensive biotechnology-assisted selection of antigens and in-depth characterisation of the assays allowed us to overcome limitations of simple ELISA-based antibody test formats based on chromometric reporters, to yield comparable assay performance as fully-automated platforms. FUNDING WWTF, Project No. COV20-016; BOKU, LBI/LBG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Klausberger
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Mark Duerkop
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria; Novasign GmbH Vienna, Austria
| | - Helmuth Haslacher
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gordana Wozniak-Knopp
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria; CD Laboratory for innovative Immunotherapeutics, Vienna, Austria
| | - Monika Cserjan-Puschmann
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria; ACIB-Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Graz, Austria
| | - Thomas Perkmann
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nico Lingg
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria; ACIB-Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Graz, Austria
| | - Patricia Pereira Aguilar
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria; ACIB-Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Graz, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Laurent
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria; BOKU Core Facility Biomolecular & Cellular Analysis, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU),Vienna, Austria
| | - Jelle De Vos
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria; Department of Chemical Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Manuela Hofner
- Competence Unit Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Health and Bioresources, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Barbara Holzer
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Department for Animal Health, Moedling, Austria
| | - Maria Stadler
- Institute of Immunology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gabriele Manhart
- Institute for Medical Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Klemens Vierlinger
- Competence Unit Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Health and Bioresources, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Margot Egger
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Konventhospital Barmherzige Brueder Linz and Ordensklinikum Linz Barmherzige Schwestern, Linz, Austria
| | - Lisa Milchram
- Competence Unit Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Health and Bioresources, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Gludovacz
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicolas Marx
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Köppl
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria; ACIB-Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Graz, Austria
| | - Christopher Tauer
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jürgen Beck
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Maresch
- BOKU Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - Clemens Grünwald-Gruber
- BOKU Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria; Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Peter Satzer
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria; ACIB-Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Graz, Austria
| | - Gerhard Stadlmayr
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria; CD Laboratory for innovative Immunotherapeutics, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrike Vavra
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Austria
| | - Jasmin Huber
- Competence Unit Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Health and Bioresources, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Wahrmann
- Department of Medicine III, Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Department of Medicine III, Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Marie-Kathrin Breyer
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Lung Health, Otto Wagner Hospital, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela Sieghart
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Quehenberger
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerda Leitner
- Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert Strassl
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander E Egger
- Central Institute for Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnosis, Innsbruck University Hospital, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christian Irsara
- Central Institute for Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnosis, Innsbruck University Hospital, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Andrea Griesmacher
- Central Institute for Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnosis, Innsbruck University Hospital, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Gregor Hoermann
- Central Institute for Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnosis, Innsbruck University Hospital, Innsbruck, Austria; MLL Munich Leukemia Laboratory, Munich, Germany
| | - Günter Weiss
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Rosa Bellmann-Weiler
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Judith Loeffler-Ragg
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Nicole Borth
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Austria
| | - Alois Jungbauer
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria; ACIB-Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Graz, Austria
| | - Rainer Hahn
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria; ACIB-Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Boris Hartmann
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Department for Animal Health, Moedling, Austria
| | - Nikolaus B Binder
- Technoclone Herstellung von Diagnostika und Arzneimitteln GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerald Striedner
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria; Novasign GmbH Vienna, Austria; ACIB-Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology, Graz, Austria; enGenes Biotech GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Mach
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Weinhäusel
- Competence Unit Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Health and Bioresources, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Benjamin Dieplinger
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Konventhospital Barmherzige Brueder Linz and Ordensklinikum Linz Barmherzige Schwestern, Linz, Austria
| | - Florian Grebien
- Institute for Medical Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Wilhelm Gerner
- Institute of Immunology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria; Christian Doppler Laboratory for an Optimized Prediction of Vaccination Success in Pigs, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria; Present address: The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, United Kingdom
| | - Christoph J Binder
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Reingard Grabherr
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria.
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13
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Feng M, Xia J, Fei S, Peng R, Wang X, Zhou Y, Wang P, Swevers L, Sun J. Identification of Silkworm Hemocyte Subsets and Analysis of Their Response to Baculovirus Infection Based on Single-Cell RNA Sequencing. Front Immunol 2021; 12:645359. [PMID: 33995363 PMCID: PMC8119652 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.645359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A wide range of hemocyte types exist in insects but a full definition of the different subclasses is not yet established. The current knowledge of the classification of silkworm hemocytes mainly comes from morphology rather than specific markers, so our understanding of the detailed classification, hemocyte lineage and functions of silkworm hemocytes is very incomplete. Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a representative member of the baculoviruses and a major pathogen that specifically infects silkworms (Bombyx mori) and causes serious losses in sericulture industry. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of hemocytes in BmNPV and mock-infected larvae to comprehensively identify silkworm hemocyte subsets and determined specific molecular and cellular characteristics in each hemocyte subset before and after viral infectmadion. A total of 20 cell clusters and their potential marker genes were identified in silkworm hemocytes. All of the hemocyte clusters were infected by BmNPV at 3 days after inoculation. Interestingly, BmNPV infection can cause great changes in the distribution of hemocyte types. The cells appearing in the infection group mainly belong to prohemocytes (PR), while plasmatocytes (PL) and granulocytes (GR) are very much reduced. Furthermore, we found that BmNPV infection suppresses the RNA interference (RNAi) and immune response in the major hemocyte types. In summary, our results revealed the diversity of silkworm hemocytes and provided a rich resource of gene expression profiles for a systems-level understanding of their functions in the uninfected condition and as a response to BmNPV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Feng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junming Xia
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shigang Fei
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruoxuan Peng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiong Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaohong Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pengwei Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Luc Swevers
- Insect Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritos, Institute of Biosciences and Applications, Athens, Greece
| | - Jingchen Sun
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
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14
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Vorgia E, Lamprousi M, Denecke S, Vogelsang K, Geibel S, Vontas J, Douris V. Functional characterization and transcriptomic profiling of a spheroid-forming midgut cell line from Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 128:103510. [PMID: 33276037 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2020.103510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Insect cell lines have been frequently used in insect science research in recent years. Establishment of cell lines from specialized tissues like the lepidopteran midgut is expected to facilitate research efforts towards the understanding of uptake and metabolic properties, as well as the design of assays for use in pesticide discovery. However, the number of available lines from specialized tissues of insects and the level of understanding of the biological processes taking place in insect cells is far behind mammalian systems. In this study we examine two established cell lines of insect midgut origin, investigate their growth parameters and amenability to transfection and genetic manipulation, and test their potential to form spheroid-like 3D structures. Our results indicate that a midgut-derived cell line from Helicoverpa zea, RP-HzGUT-AW1, is amenable to genetic manipulation by transfection with a standard insect expression vector and has excellent ability to form spheroids. To further investigate the differentiation status of this line, we examined for expression of several candidate marker genes from different midgut cell types, enterocytes (ECs), Goblet cells (GCs), enteroendocrine cells (EEs) and intestinal stem cells (ISCs), indicating that both certain ISC and certain differentiated cell markers were present. To acquire a more detailed perspective of the differentiation landscape of the specific cells, we performed an RNAseq analysis of RP-HzGUT-AW1 grown either in 2D or 3D cultures. We hypothesize that RP-HzGUT-AW1 are in an "arrested" developmental stage between ISC and terminal differentiation. Furthermore, an enrichment of stress response and oxidoreductase genes was observed in the spheroid samples while no significant difference was evident in differentiation markers between cells grown in 2D and 3D. These results render RP-HzGUT-AW1 as the most well-characterized insect gut derived cell line so far, and lay the groundwork for future work investigating midgut cell lines application potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Vorgia
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas, 100 N. Plastira Street, 700 13, Heraklion Crete, Greece
| | - Mantha Lamprousi
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas, 100 N. Plastira Street, 700 13, Heraklion Crete, Greece; Department of Biology, University of Crete, Vassilika Vouton, 71409, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Shane Denecke
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas, 100 N. Plastira Street, 700 13, Heraklion Crete, Greece
| | - Kathrin Vogelsang
- Bayer AG, CropScience Division, R&D Pest Control, D-40789 Monheim, Germany
| | - Sven Geibel
- Bayer AG, CropScience Division, R&D Pest Control, D-40789 Monheim, Germany
| | - John Vontas
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas, 100 N. Plastira Street, 700 13, Heraklion Crete, Greece; Laboratory of Pesticide Science, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Greece
| | - Vassilis Douris
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas, 100 N. Plastira Street, 700 13, Heraklion Crete, Greece; Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, 45110, Ioannina, Greece.
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15
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Klausberger M, Leneva IA, Egorov A, Strobl F, Ghorbanpour SM, Falynskova IN, Poddubikov AV, Makhmudova NR, Krokhin A, Svitich OA, Grabherr R. Off-target effects of an insect cell-expressed influenza HA-pseudotyped Gag-VLP preparation in limiting postinfluenza Staphylococcus aureus infections. Vaccine 2020; 38:859-867. [PMID: 31718898 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.10.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Clinical and historical data underscore the ability of influenza viruses to ally with Staphylococcus aureus and predispose the host for secondary bacterial pneumonia, which is a leading cause of influenza-associated mortality. This is fundamental because no vaccine for S. aureus is available and the number of antibiotic-resistant strains is alarmingly rising. Hence, this leaves influenza vaccination the only strategy to prevent postinfluenza staphylococcal infections. In the present work, we assessed the off-target effects of a Tnms42 insect cell-expressed BEI-treated Gag-VLP preparation expressing the HA of A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (H1N1) in preventing S. aureus superinfection in mice pre-infected with a homologous or heterologous H1N1 viral challenge strain. Our results demonstrate that matched anti-hemagglutinin immunity elicited by a VLP preparation may suffice to prevent morbidity and mortality caused by lethal secondary bacterial infection. This effect was observed even when employing a single low antigen dose of 50 ng HA per animal. However, induction of anti-hemagglutinin immunity alone was not helpful in inhibiting heterologous viral replication and subsequent bacterial infection. Our results indicate the potential of the VLP vaccine approach in terms of immunogenicity but suggest that anti-HA immunity should not be considered as the sole preventive method for combatting influenza and postinfluenza bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Klausberger
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria.
| | - Irina A Leneva
- Department of Virology, I. Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey Egorov
- Department of Virology, I. Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera, Moscow, Russia; Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Florian Strobl
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB), Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Irina N Falynskova
- Department of Virology, I. Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander V Poddubikov
- Department of Microbiology, I. Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nailya R Makhmudova
- Department of Virology, I. Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera, Moscow, Russia
| | - Artem Krokhin
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - Oxana A Svitich
- Department of Virology, I. Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera, Moscow, Russia
| | - Reingard Grabherr
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
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16
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Transcriptional Responses of the Trichoplusia ni Midgut to Oral Infection by the Baculovirus Autographa californica Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus. J Virol 2019; 93:JVI.00353-19. [PMID: 31043536 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00353-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Baculoviruses are large double-stranded DNA viruses that are virulent pathogens of certain insect species. In a natural host, Trichoplusia ni, infection by the model baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) begins when the occluded form of the virus disassembles in the midgut and virions infect midgut epithelial cells to establish the primary phase of the infection. To better understand the primary phase of the AcMNPV infection cycle, newly molted 5th-instar T. ni larvae were orally infected with AcMNPV occlusion bodies and the transcriptional responses of the T. ni midgut were analyzed at various times from 0 to 72 h postinfection, using transcriptome sequencing analysis and a T. ni reference genome. The numbers of differentially expressed host genes increased as the infection progressed, and we identified a total of 3,372 differentially expressed T. ni transcripts in the AcMNPV-infected midgut. Genes encoding orthologs of HMG176, atlastin, and CPH43 were among the most dramatically upregulated in response to AcMNPV infection. A number of cytochrome P450 genes were downregulated in response to infection. We also identified the effects of AcMNPV infection on a large variety of genes associated with innate immunity. This analysis provides an abundance of new and detailed information on host responses to baculovirus infection during the primary phase of the infection in the midgut and will be important for understanding how baculoviruses establish productive infections in the organism.IMPORTANCE Baculoviruses are virulent pathogens of a number of important insect pest species. In the host Trichoplusia ni, infection begins in the midgut when infectious virions of the occlusion-derived virus (ODV) phenotype enter and subsequently replicate in cells of the midgut epithelium. A second virion phenotype (budded virus [BV]) is produced there, and BV mediates systemic infection of the animal. Most prior detailed studies of baculovirus infections have focused on BV infections of cultured cells. In this study, we examined the transcriptional responses of the T. ni midgut to infection by ODV of the baculovirus AcMNPV and identified a variety of host genes that respond dramatically to viral infection. Understanding the transcriptional responses of the host midgut to viral infection is critically important for understanding the biphasic infection in the animal as a whole.
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Koczka K, Ernst W, Palmberger D, Klausberger M, Nika L, Grabherr R. Development of a Dual-Vector System Utilizing MicroRNA Mimics of the Autographa californica miR-1 for an Inducible Knockdown in Insect Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E533. [PMID: 30691228 PMCID: PMC6387257 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20030533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The baculovirus-insect cell expression system is a popular tool for the manufacturing of various attractive recombinant products. Over the years, several attempts have been made to engineer and further improve this production platform by targeting host or baculoviral genes by RNA interference. In this study, an inducible knockdown system was established in insect (Sf9) cells by combining an artificial microRNA precursor mimic of baculoviral origin and the bacteriophage T7 transcription machinery. Four structurally different artificial precursor constructs were created and tested in a screening assay. The most efficient artificial microRNA construct resulted in a 69% reduction in the fluorescence intensity of the target enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (eYFP). Next, recombinant baculoviruses were created carrying either the selected artificial precursor mimic under the transcriptional control of the T7 promoter or solely the T7 RNA polymerase under a baculoviral promoter. Upon co-infecting Sf9 cells with these two viruses, the fluorescence intensity of eYFP was suppressed by ~30⁻40% on the protein level. The reduction in the target mRNA level was demonstrated with real-time quantitative PCR. The presented inducible knockdown system may serve as an important and valuable tool for basic baculovirus-insect cell research and for the improvement of production processes using this platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krisztina Koczka
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology - acib, A-1190 Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, A-1190 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Wolfgang Ernst
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology - acib, A-1190 Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, A-1190 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Dieter Palmberger
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology - acib, A-1190 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Miriam Klausberger
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology - acib, A-1190 Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, A-1190 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Lisa Nika
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, A-1190 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Reingard Grabherr
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology - acib, A-1190 Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, A-1190 Vienna, Austria.
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Accessing Structure, Dynamics and Function of Biological Macromolecules by NMR Through Advances in Isotope Labeling. J Indian Inst Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s41745-018-0085-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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