Transient expression of human TorsinA enhances secretion of two functionally distinct proteins in cultured Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells

Cultured mammalian cells, particularly Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, are widely exploited as hosts for the production of recombinant proteins, but often yields are limiting. Such limitations may be due in part to the misfolding and subsequent degradation of the heterologous proteins. Consequently we have determined whether transiently co-expressing yeast and/or mammalian chaperones that act to disaggregate proteins, in CHO cell lines, improve the levels of either a cytoplasmic (Fluc) or secreted (Gluc) form of luciferase or an immunoglobulin IgG4 molecule. Over-expression of the yeast ‘protein disaggregase’ Hsp104 in a CHO cell line increased the levels of Fluc more significantly than for Gluc although levels were not further elevated by over-expression of the yeast or mammalian Hsp70/40 chaperones. Over-expression of TorsinA, a mammalian protein related in sequence to yeast Hsp104, but located in the ER, significantly increased the level of secreted Gluc from CHO cells by 2.5-fold and to a lesser extent the secreted levels of a recombinant IgG4 molecule. These observations indicate that the over-expression of yeast Hsp104 in mammalian cells can improve recombinant protein yield and that over-expression of TorsinA in the ER can promote secretion of heterologous proteins from mammalian cells.