Expression of biologically active human interferon alpha 2b in the milk of transgenic mice

Transgenic Res. 2013 Feb;22(1):169-78. doi: 10.1007/s11248-012-9623-1. Epub 2012 Jun 3.

Abstract

Interferon alpha 2b (IFNα-2b) is an important immune regulator widely used in clinic, for the treatment of chronic hepatitis, hairy cell leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia and multiple myeloma, etc. The clinically used IFNα-2b is generally produced by E.Coli, which lacks the post-translational O-glycosylation presents on naturally synthesized protein, and has a short serum half-life. In this study, a transgenic cassette pBCN-IFN-pA-CMV-EGFP was constructed, with a 5.2 kb beta-casein regulation fragment from Jersey cow and a 6×His tagged human Interferon alpha 2b (hIFNα-2b) gene fragment. By using pronuclear microinjection technique, transgenic mice were generated and the expression of IFNα-2b in the milk was assayed. The hIFNα-2b was correctly translated in milk of transgenic mice according to Western blot analysis. The expression level of hIFNα-2b was varied among the transgenic mice, and the highest one was about 29.71 μg/L. The recombinant protein exhibited biological activity in vitro by increasing the luminescence value and the MxA gene expression in established WISH cells, and the specific activity is approximately 2.8 × 10(7 )IU/mg. The expression of recombinant hIFNα-2b in mammary glands of transgenic mice constitutes an important step towards low-cost and full biological activity production of this protein drug in mammary gland bioreactor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bioreactors
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Transfer Techniques*
  • Humans
  • Interferon alpha-2
  • Interferon-alpha* / biosynthesis
  • Interferon-alpha* / genetics
  • Interferon-alpha* / metabolism
  • Mammary Glands, Animal / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Milk / metabolism*
  • Recombinant Proteins* / biosynthesis
  • Recombinant Proteins* / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins* / metabolism

Substances

  • Interferon alpha-2
  • Interferon-alpha
  • Recombinant Proteins