ULK1 knockout cell line downregulates autophagy, upregulates recombinant transcript and improves protein secretion

QC 20210604
To meet the ever-growing demand for effective, safe, and affordable protein therapeutics, decades of bioprocessing innovations and cell engineering modifications have vastly improved the production of recombinant proteins. Recently, new genomic technologies allow more targeted approaches in cell line development where most effort have been aimed at reducing toxic byproducts or regulate specific traits, such as apoptosis or glycosylation. By targeting a general metabolic or processing pathway a broader protein expression increase could be achieved. In order to identify a more general cell engineered platform, a small molecule screen for enhanced protein expression of three model proteins was performed. From this, ULK1, the key initiator of autophagy, emerged as an important component for improved recombinant expression. Autophagy is a large process within the cell that restores cell homeostasis during cell stress, and knockout of ULK1 improved protein expression 3-fold in a stable Cripto-Fc producing cell. Transcriptomic analysis showed a downregulation of autophagy and upregulation of transcriptional processes when ULK1 was removed. Processes within the host cell that are of a general cell maintenance character have great potential to be engineered into a universal manufacturing platform, here shown through the prevention of autophagy.

By the author/editor: Thalén, Niklas; Hicks, Jennifer; Lundqvist, Magnu ...; Backmark, Anna; Engberg, Susanna; Raynoschek, Cari ...; show more...; Gunnarsson, Jenn ...; Volk, Anna-Luisa; Roth, Robert; Rockberg, Johan; show less...

About the subject

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES: MEDICAL AND HEAL ...; and Medical Biotechn ...; and Medical Biotechn ...

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