Protein Mass Production in Hybridomas and Recombinant CHO Cells

Abstract

Hybridomas (immortalised lymphocytes) represent a single gene-copy number expression system for antibodies in the native host cell. Antibodies represent a heterodimeric protein encoded by two genes. We expressed antibodies in hybridomas as well as in recombinant CHO cells. Also other recombinant CHO cells were established under comparable conditions to express other glycoproteins encoded by single genes. Long-term (up to more than a year in culture) transcription rates, intra- and extracellular protein expression rates, gene-doses and stability of expression in the presence and absence of selection pressure have been investigated. Transcriptional activities and antibody expression of both systems, hybridomas and recombinant CHO cells are compared. Long-term stability of different recombinant glycoprotein expressing CHO cell lines are also shown