Yoshiyuki Takahara

Complementary DNA for a novel human interleukin (BSF-2) that induces B lymphocytes to produce immunoglobulin.

When stimulated with antigen, B cells are influenced by T cells to proliferate and differentiate into antibody-forming cells. Since it was reported1,2 that soluble factors could replace certain functions of helper T cells in the antibody response, several different kinds of lymphokines and monokines have been reported in B-cell growth and differentiation3,4. Among these, human B-cell differentiation factor (BCDF or BSF-2) has been shown to induce the final maturation of B cells into immunoglobulin-secreting cells5–8. BSF-2 was purified to homogeneity9 and its partial NH2-terminal amino-acid sequence was determined10. These studies indicated that BSF-2 is functionally and structurally unlike other known proteins. Here, we report the molecular cloning, structural analysis and functional expression of the cDNA encoding human BSF-2. The primary sequence of BSF-2 deduced from the cDNA reveals that BSF-2 is a novel interleukin consisting of 184 amino acids.

High yield refolding and purification process for recombinant human interleukin‐6 expressed in Escherichia coli

Recombinant human interleukin-6 (hIL-6), a pleiotropic cytokine containing two intramolecular disulfide bonds, was expressed in Escherichia coli as an insoluble inclusion body, before being refolded and purified in high yield providing sufficient qualities for clinical use. Quantitative reconstitution of the native disulfide bonds of hIL-6 from the fully denatured E. coli extracts could be performed by glutathione-assisted oxidation in a completely denaturating condition (6M guanidinium chloride) at protein concentrations higher than 1 mg/mL, preventing aggregation of reduced hIL-6. Oxidation in 6M guanidinium chloride (GdnHCl) required remarkably low concentrations of glutathione (reduced form, 0.01 mM; oxidized form, 0.002 mM) to be added to the solubilized hIL-6 before the incubation at pH 8.5, and 22 degrees C for 16 h. After completion of refolding by rapid transfer of oxidized hIL-6 into acetate buffer by gel filtration chromatography, residual contaminants including endotoxin and E. coli proteins were efficiently removed by successive steps of chromatography. The amount of dimeric hIL-6s, thought to be purification artifacts, was decreased by optimizing the salt concentrations of the loading materials in the ion-exchange chromatography, and gradually removing organic solvents from the collected fractions of the preparative reverse-phase HPLC. These refolding and purification processes, which give an overall yield as high as 17%, seem to be appropriate for the commercial scale production of hIL-6 for therapeutic use.

Gene transfer into hepatoma cells mediated by galactose-modified α-helical peptides

To develop a receptor-mediated gene delivery system into hepatoma cells using the cationic alpha-helical peptide as the gene carrier molecule, we modified an alpha-helical peptide, which is known to have transfection abilities into cells, with a multi-antennary ligand containing several galactose residues that provide efficient binding to the asialoglycoprotein receptor. The galactose-modified peptides formed complexes with a plasmid DNA and showed gene transfer abilities into HuH-7 cells, a human hepatoma cell line. The transfection efficiency of the peptide was increased by increasing the number of modified galactose residues on the peptide. Furthermore, considerable inhibition of the transfection efficiency by the addition of asialofetuin, which is a ligand for the asialoglycoprotein receptor, was observed in all galactose-modified peptides. Based on this result, we could confirm that the internalization of the galactose-modified peptides occurred by the receptor-mediated endocytosis pathway. In addition, to understand the transport route of the peptide-DNA complex in the cell, the effects on the transfection efficiencies with several endocytosis inhibitors were examined. As a result, it was suggested that the translocation of the peptide-DNA complex from the endocytic compartments to the cytosol mainly occurred during an early endosome step.

A new highly sensitive immunoassay for cytokines by dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluoroimmunoassay (DELFIA).

Non-isotopic immunoassays for human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and human interleukin-6 (IL-6) were established by employing the dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluoroimmunoassay (DELFIA) system based on the time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay technique with europium-labeled antibody. Compared to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and bioassays, the sensitivity and range of measurement were significantly increased by applying the DELFIA systems to TNF alpha and IL-6. TNF alpha was measurable from 100 fg/ml to 10 ng/ml with the TNF alpha-DELFIA and IL-6 was measurable from 100 fg/ml to 1 ng/ml with the IL-6-DELFIA.

Biotinylation of human interleukin-2 for flow cytometry analysis of interleukin-2 receptors.

We designed a method to analyze receptors for interleukin-2 (IL-2R) using biotinylated IL-2 (b-IL-2). To optimize the condition of biotinylation of IL-2 for flow cytometry, the degree of biotinylation was controlled by monitoring the relative biotin contents in b-IL-2 with a newly developed ELISA. The b-IL-2 prepared by incubating 150 micrograms IL-2 in 150-300 micrograms/ml N-hydroxysuccinimidyl biotin retained biological activity and was appropriate for flow cytometry analysis. Positive fluorescence appeared in the IL-2R-bearing cell lines but not in those without IL-2R. This binding was inhibited by preincubation of the cells with unlabelled IL-2. The b-IL-2 bound to both low and high affinity IL-2Rs, but the binding to the latter was more intense. The advantage of this method is that expression of IL-2Rs of these two categories of affinity can be separately monitored.

A Novel Hepatic-Targeting System for Therapeutic Cytokines That Delivers to the Hepatic Asialoglycoprotein Receptor, but Avoids Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis

AbstractPurpose. To demonstrate the utilities of a synthetic low-affinity ligand ((Gal)3) for the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R) as a hepatic targeting device for therapeutic cytokines. Methods. The site-specific incorporation of (Gal)3 or a typical high-affinity ligand (GalNAc)3 into IL-2 was catalyzed by microbial transglutaminase. The anti-tumor activities, pharmacokinetic profiles and receptor-mediated endocytosis in hepatocytes of the ligand-IL-2 conjugates were examined in mouse. Results. The (Gal)3 has approximately 50 times lower affinity to ASGP-R than (GalNAc)3. Nevertheless, the antitumor effects were in the order of (Gal)3—IL-2 > unmodified IL-2 > (GalNAc)3—IL-2. The systemic elimination and the hepatic uptake of (GalNAc)3—IL-2 were more rapid than (Gal)3—IL-2. The ratio of the rate constant representing dissociation from the cell-surface receptor (koff) to that representing endocytosis of the ligand (kint) was greater for (Gal)3—IL-2 than (GalNAc)3—IL-2, suggesting that (Gal)3—IL-2 preferably avoids internalization due to its lower affinity to the receptor. The simulation studies demonstrated that (Gal)3—IL-2 was present in the hepatic extracellular space for a longer period than (GalNAc)3 IL-2. Conclusions. The (Gal)3 ligand increases the therapeutic efficacy of IL-2 by enhancing its exposure to the cell-surface. The koff/kint affects the targeting efficacy of the conjugates to ASGP-R.

A new method of gene transfer into hematopoietic progenitors using liquid culture with interleukin-3 and interleukin-6

The technique of gene transfer into hematopoietic cells is expected to offer a new form of therapeutics. As a result of studies on a gene-delivery system using granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-GM), a type of hematopoietic progenitor, we have established a technique for efficient gene transfer into CFU-GM. DGL, a retrovirus vector containing the SV40 promoter and the neomycin resistance gene, was constructed and found to transfer genes effectively into murine CFU-GM, which subsequently expressed the neomycin resistance gene. After gene transfer of murine non-adherent bone marrow cells precultured in liquid culture with recombinant murine IL-3 (rmIL-3) and recombinant human IL-6 (rhIL-6) for 6 days, gene transferred CFU-GM in bone marrow cells were able to proliferate 5-10-fold and the ratio of gene transferred CFU-GM to total CFU-GM reached 70-100% from less than 1% in the liquid culture with rmIL-3, rhIL-6 and neomycin for 6 days. Using this protocol, we have been able to obtain large amounts of highly concentrated gene-transferred CFU-GM for fundamental research on CFU-GM gene-delivery systems.

EDF (Erythroid Differentiation Factor = Activin A) Production in Recombinant CHO Cells

Serum-free growth and product formation by CHO/EDF (recombinant CHO cell line expressing human Erythroid Differentiation Factor=activin A)were studied. ASF-104, an autoclavable serum-free medium, was modified to give ASF-CHO, in which recombinant CHO cells showed the same growth kinetics as shown in serum supplemented medium. For evaluation of the feasibility of large-scale performance in this medium, cells were propagated in a microcarrier system and conventional suspension system. To achieve cell attachment to microcarriers without serum, pre-treatment of beads with fibronectin was found to be effective. For suspension culture, we also established useful one-step selection method to obtain anchorage-, and serum-independent sub-line of CHO/EDF. It was shown that subpopulation of the cell line could be divided into 2 groups, compact-type and diffuse-type colony forming clones. The latter clones were considered to be more adaptable to suspension culture. As ASF-CHO was found to support clonal growth of CHO cells in soft agar, an anchorage-, and serum-independent sub-clone, termed C11-5, was isolated by selecting a diffuse-type colony-forming clone in ASF-CHO soft agar. C11-5 showed the same growth rate and productivity in serum-free suspension culture as shown in serum-supplemented monolayer culture.