Enhancement of cell proliferation and motility of mammalian cells grown in co-culture with Pichia pastoris expressing recombinant human FGF-2

Authors

Henry Hieu M. Le, University of the Pacific
David Vang, University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry
Nadia Amer, University of the Pacific
Tou Vue, University of the Pacific
Colwin Yee, University of the Pacific
Hyam Kaou, University of the Pacific
Joseph S. Harrison, University of the PacificFollow
Nan Tori Xiao, University of the PacificFollow
Joan Lin-Cereghino, University of the PacificFollow
Geoff P. Lin-Cereghino, University of the PacificFollow
Der Thor, University of the PacificFollow

ORCID

Joseph Harrison: 0000-0002-2118-6524

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Protein Expression and Purification

Department

Chemistry

ISSN

1046-5928

Volume

176

DOI

10.1016/j.pep.2020.105724

Publication Date

12-1-2020

Abstract

Many studies examining the biological function of recombinant proteins and their effects on the physiology of mammalian cells stipulate that the proteins be purified before being used as therapeutic agents. In this study, we explored the possibility of using unpurified recombinant proteins to treat mammalian cells. The recombinant protein was used directly from the expression source and the biological function was compared to purified commercially available, equivalent protein. The model for this purpose was recombinant FGF-2, expressed by Pichia pastoris, which was used to treat the murine fibroblast cell line, NIH/3T3. We generated a P. pastoris strain (yHL11) that constitutively secreted a biologically active recombinant FGF-2 protein containing an N-terminal c-myc epitope (Myc-FGF-2). Myc-FGF-2 was then used without purification either a) in the form of conditioned mammalian cell culture medium or b) during co-cultures of yHL11 with NIH/3T3 to induce higher proliferation and motility of NIH/3T3 cells. The effects of Myc-FGF-2 on cell physiology were comparable to commercially available FGF-2. To our knowledge, this is the first time the physiology of cultured mammalian cells had been successfully altered with a recombinant protein secreted by P. pastoris while the two species shared the same medium and culture conditions. Our data demonstrated the biological activity of unpurified recombinant FGF-2 on NIH/3T3 cells and provided a foundation for directly using unpurified recombinant proteins expressed by P. pastoris with mammalian cells, potentially as wound-healing therapeutics.

Comments

Funding Sponsor: National Institute of Health

Recommended Citation

Le, H. H., Vang, D., Amer, N., Vue, T., Yee, C., Kaou, H., Harrison, J. S., Xiao, N. T., Lin-Cereghino, J., Lin-Cereghino, G. P., & Thor, D. (2020). Enhancement of cell proliferation and motility of mammalian cells grown in co-culture with Pichia pastoris expressing recombinant human FGF-2. Protein Expression and Purification, 176, DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2020.105724
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/cop-facarticles/836