Characterization of Erythropoietin Producing Cell Lines after Introduction of Urea Cycle Enzymes, Carbamoly Phosphate Synthetase and Ornithine Transcarbamoylase

An efficient Erythropoietin (EPO)-expression system in mammalian cells is required for massive production for therapeutic use. Ammonium ion is a major problem in the production of valuable recombinant proteins in cultured animal cells. Therefore, it is of importance to devise a system by which a high productivity of human therapeutic recombinant protein can be maintained or enhanced under low ammonium concentration. To reduce the ammonium ion accumulated in EPO producing Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) ceels, IBE, we introduced the first two genes of the urea cycle, carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (CPSI) and arnithine transcarbamoylase (OTC), into IBE using a stable transfection method. (omitted)