Production of recombinant human erythropoietin in transgenic mice Milk

Author(s)

Camilla Mota Mendes

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ/SBD)
• Defense date: 2009-02-27

Examining board members

José Antônio Visintin; Mayra Elena Ortiz D\'Avila Assumpção; Fabíola Freitas de Paula Lopes; Elizabeth Angélica Leme Martins; Camila Infantosi Vannucchi

• Advisor: José Antônio Visintin

Abstract

Recombinant proteins such as insulin and human growth hormone can be produced by microorganisms. Although, to produce proteins that need pos-traductional modifications that can not be done by microorganisms, and a eucariotic cell bioreactor is needed. This production system is expensive and the amount of protein produced is low. As an alternative, the transgenic animal technology came up to reduce production fees. The human eritropoetin is a glicosilated protein and it is one of the most expensive to human treatment. It was already produced in transgenic mice, rabbit and swine but with glicosilation problems or health alterations by transgene vectors promoter region failure that limits the expression on mammary gland. This study aimed to produce recombinant human erythropoetin (rhEPO) in transgenic mice milk by two different vectors, never had been used to produce it before. Vectors with bovine alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin promoters had the human erythropoetin gene inserted between promoter and milk coding regions by a hard working and low efficiency technique. It was not possible to insert our vectors on mice embryonic stem cells (ESC) (USP-1) by electroporation but its conditions (390V, 80µs) were tested with fluorescent vector. In the future, transgenic ESC will be aggregated into mice embryos and after 24 hours of in vitro culture will be transferred to pseudo-pregnant mices. The new borns (chimera) will be mated and its offspring will have their DNA evaluated to verify the human eritropoetin gene occurrence. The founder animals will be also mated and the positive female borned will be evaluated for human erythrpoetin production on milk. It will be purified, quantified and evaluated for glicosilation by western blottin techinique. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 05/01392-3 - Production of human recombinant erythropoietin in mice milk
• Grantee: Camilla Mota Mendes
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)