• Molecules and Cells
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.17-22
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• 2007

We have expressed human erythropoietin (EPO) in transgenic mice using a recombinant EPO cDNA combined with a partial TPO construct. The gene was microinjected using standard techniques and five mice were detected as transgenic by PCR and further used as founders. The life span of the transgenic founders was much shorter than that of their normal littermates. Most of the tissues of the transgenic founders contained human EPO transcripts as judged by RT-PCR. Especially high expression levels were seen in the liver and lung. EPO protein levels in serum were examined by ELISA and ranged from 266-414 mIU/ml. The number of red blood cell, white blood cell and hemoglobin in the hEPO transgenic mice was higher than in normal mice. These results indicate that overexpression of hEPO is deleterious and can provoke lung failure and erythrocytosis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.383-391
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• 2008

The glycans linked to the insect cell-derived glycoproteins are known to differ from those expressed in mammalian cells, partly because of the low level or lack of glycosyltransferase activities. GnT II, GnT IV, GnT V, and ST3Gal IV, which play important roles in the synthesis of tetraantennarytype complex glycan structures in mammalian cells, were overexpressed in Trichoplusia ni cells by using a baculovirus expression vector. The glycosyltransferases, expressed as a fusion form with the IgG-binding domain, were secreted into the culture media and purified using IgG sepharose resin. The enzyme assay, performed using a pyridylaminated-sugar chain as an acceptor, indicated that the purified glycosyltransferases retained their enzyme activities. Human erythropoietin expressed in T. ni cells (rhEPO) was subjected to in vitro glycosylation by using recombinant glycosyltransferases and was converted into complex-type glycan with terminal sialic acid. The presence of Nacetylglucosamine, galactose, and sialic acid on the rhEPO moiety was detected by a lectin blot analysis, and the addition of galactose and sialic acid to rhEPO was confirmed by autoradiography using $UDP-^{14}C-Gal\;and\;CMP-^{14}C-Sia$ as donors. The in vitro glycosylated rhEPO was injected into mice, and the number of reticulocytes among the ed blood cells was counted using FACS. A significant increase in the number of reticulocytes was not observed in the mice injected with in vitro glycosylated rhEPO as compared with those injected with rhEPO.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.2493-2496
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• 2010

Erythropoietin (EPO) is mainly produced in kidney and stimulates erythropoiesis. The use of recombinant EPOs for doping is prohibited because of its performance enhancing effect. This study investigated whether biosimilar EPOs could be differentiated from endogenous one by iso-electro-focusing plus double blotting and SDS-PAGE for antidoping analysis. The established method was validated with positive control urine. The band patterns were reproducible and meet the criteria, which was made by world anti doping agency (WADA). Isoelectric focusing was conducted in pH range 2 to 6. Recormon (La Roche), Aropotin (Kunwha), Epokine (CJ Pharm Co.), Eporon (Dong-A), Espogen (LG Life Sciences), and Dynepo (Shire Pharmaceuticals) were detected in basic region. All biosimilars showed discriminative isoelectric profiles from endogenous EPO profiles, but they showed different band patterns with the reference one except Epokine (CJ Pharm Co.). Next, SDS-PAGE of biosimilar EPOs resulted in different molecular weight patterns which were distributed higher than endogenous EPO. Commercial immune assay kit as an immune affinity purification tool and immobilized antibody coated magnetic bead were tested for the purification and concentration of EPO from urinary matrix. The antibody-coated magnetic bead gave better purification yield. The IEF plus double blotting and SDS-PAGE with immunoaffinity purification method established can be used to discriminate biosimilar EPOs from endogenous EPO.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.158-163
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• 2004

Chlorella is a eukaryotic microalgae which shares metabolic pathways with higher plants. These charac-teristics make chlorella a potential candidate for eukaryotic overexpression systems. Recently, a foreign flounder growth hormone gene was stably introduced and expressed in transformed Chlorella ellipsoidea by using a modified plant transformation vector that contains cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S pro-moter and the phleomycin resistant Sh ble gene as a selection marker. In this study, this same vector was modified by incorporating a promoter and a 3' UTR region of the 33kDa peptide gene from a chlorella virus that was isolated in our laboratory. The 33kDa gene promoter was used to replace the 35S promoter and the 3' UTR was introduced to separate the target gene and downstream Sh ble gene. Three different chlorella transformation vectors containing human erythropoietin (EPO) gene were constructed. The mp335EPO vector consists of a promoter from the 33kDa peptide gene, whereas the mp3353EPO vector contains the same promoter from the 33kDa peptide gene and its 3' UTR. The mp35S33pEPO vector contains the 35S promoter and the 3' UTR from the 33 kDa peptide gene. There was no significant difference in the expression levels of EPO protein in chlorella cells transformed with either of three of the transformation vectors. These data indicate that the promoters from the chlorella virus are comparable to the most common CaMV 35S promoter. Furthermore, these data suggest that other promoters from this virus can be used in future construction of chlorella transformation system for higher expression of target proteins.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.36-46
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• 1996

An endogenous phenoloxidase (EPO) from earthworm, Lumbricus rubellus, has been purified and characterized. The purified EPO using ammonium sulfate fractionation, Blue-2, Phenyl-, and Q-sepharose chromatography steps was revealed in SDS-PAGE as a single protein banri with Mr. of 59 kl)a. A native strudure of the enzyme was examined with an in situ staining of a nondenatudng-PAGE using DL-dopa as a substrate. The result showed that a single band due to the EPO activity was located siighdy above a standard polypeptide with Mr. of 210 kl)a. These fads indicate that the EPO is an oligomeric enzyme. The presence of a monophenolase activity of the purified EPO, which hydroxylates tyrosine to dopa, was confirmed by observing dopachrome accumulation at 475 nm at PH 8.0 with a typical lag phase during 60 mm. of meausrement. A series of inhibition study has been performed for the enzyme with several divalent cation chelators such as phenyithiourea (Flu), 1, lO-phenanthroline, EDTA, and EGTA. Among them, only V'flj inhibited the enzyme with 1C0.5 of 65 MM, which indicated that copper was critical for the catalysis of EPO. The enzyme was maximally active at 35'C and pH 8.0 when L-dopa to dopachrome conversion was spectrophotometricaily monitored at 475 nm. The apparent Km values of P0 for L-opa were obtained as 1.86 mM and 13.8 mM at pH 6.5 and 8.0, respectively. The catalytic efficiencies at both pH were almost identical [(kat/Km)pH8.0/(kcat/Km)pH6.5 = O.92] while the Vmax at p11 8.0 was 6.6-fold higher than that at pH 6.5. This fact may indicate that pH affeds the catalysis at substrate and/or enzyme-substrate complex level rather than the enzyme itself. Taken together, the EPO was an oligomeric enzyme which did not require proteolysis for its activation. These results also indicated that the enzyme can exist, at least, in part as a latent form In vivo, which might be distinct from the prophenoloxidase activating system. Therefore, it is pertinent to consider that there must be certain regulatory molecules or phenomena in L. rubellus which make the 1,0 in a latent form in vivo before the foreign invasions.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.117-121
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• 2008

Our previous study showed that transgenic (TG) pigs harboring human EPO (hEPO) gene have been shown to have reproductive disorders, including low pregnancy rates, irregular estrus cycle and low little size. To investigate these reasons, we assessed estrus behavior (standing response) and plasma $17{\beta}$-estradiol ($E_2$) level, which partly reflect reproductive function, during the estrus cycles after synchronization and superovulation by hormone treatments. Then, we analysed blood composition and expression of hEPO gene in TG pigs. Pigs were injected with PG600. After 10 days, pigs were fed with Regumate porcine for 6 days. Blood samples were collected from jugular vein. Analysis of blood composition and $E_2$ level were measured by Hemavet 950 and $E_2$ ELISA kit, respectively. And, the expression of hEPO gene in reproductive organs was quantitated by real-time RT-PCR. The percentage of estrus behavior in TG was significantly decreased. Hematocrit (HCT), hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and red blood cell (RBC) number were significantly higher in TG than wild type (WT). On the other hand, high expression of hEPO gene in TG was observed in the mammary gland as well as in the uterus. Moreover, plasma $E_2$ level was significantly higher in TG than WT. These results suggest that nonspecific expression of hEPO gene in the other organs of TG may affect blood composition and plasma $E_2$ level, thereby causing reproductive disorders.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.122-130
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• 2011

Objective: Although recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) has revolutionized the treatment of anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) receiving hemodialysis (HD) with no need of blood transfusion, some patients have a blunted or appear to be resistant to rhEPO. There is a controversy in the causes of rhEPO resistance in maintenance HD patients with anemia. This study is to examine current anemia treatment outcomes and the factors influencing the rhEPO responsiveness in HD patient with CKD. Methods: The clinical parameters or factors relating to erythrompoietin treatment outcomes and erythropoietin responsiveness were collected from the HD patients in two large dialysis centers for three months. The collected paramenters included serum iron, total iron biding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation rate, ferritin, albumin, intact PTH, C-reactive protein (CRP), nPCR and medications such as an angiotensin converting enzyme inhbitor, an angiotension II receptor blocker and an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (HMG-CoA RI). The data were analyzed to examine the degree of acheiveing the anemia treatment goal and factors relating to ERI. Results: Among total 111 patients, 42 (42.3%) and 47 (37.8%) patients achieved the target Hct and Hb based on the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Services (HIRA) reimbursement criteria. In the higher ERI group (upper quartile), the patients had higher CRP levels (0.5 mg/dl) (p=0.0096), and lower TIBC score (<$240{\mu}g/dl$) (p=0.0027), and less patients were taking HMG-CoA RI (p=0.0019). Male patients (p=0.0204), patients with high TIBC score ($R^2$=0.084, p=0.0021) and patients taking HMG-CoA RI (p=0.0052) required to administer less dose of rhEPO meaning higher erythropoietin responsiveness. Conclusion: Less than 50% of CKD patients were achieving the goals of anemia by erythropoietin administration in large hospitals in Korea even though the goals were lower than those of NKF-K/DOQI practice guideline. The factors influencing ERI were sex, TIBC and HMG-CoA RI administration status, and neither an ACEI nor an ARB did not influence ERI.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.10
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• pp.898-908
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• 2010

Purpose: The neuroprotective effects of erythropoietin (EPO) have been recently shown in many animal models of brain injury, including hypoxic-ischemic (HI) encephalopathy, trauma, and excitotoxicity; however, limited data are available for such effects during the neonatal periods. Therefore, we investigated whether recombinant human EPO (rHuEPO) can protect against perinatal HI brain injury via an antiapoptotic mechanism. Methods: The left carotid artery was ligated in 7-day-old Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat pups ($in$ $vivo$ model). The animals were divided into 6 groups: normoxia control (NC), normoxia sham-operated (NS), hypoxia only (H), hypoxia+vehicle (HV), hypoxia+rHuEPO before a hypoxic insult (HE-B), and hypoxia+rHuEPO after a hypoxic insult (HE-A). Embryonic cortical neuronal cell culture of SD rats at 18 days gestation ($in$ $vitro$ model) was performed. The cultured cells were divided into 5 groups: normoxia (N), hypoxia (H), and 1, 10, and 100 IU/mL rHuEPO-treated groups. Results: In the $in$ $vivo$ model, Bcl-2 expressions in the H and HV groups were lower than those in the NC and NS groups, whereas those in the HE-A and HE-B groups were greater than those of the H and HV groups. The expressions of Bax and caspase-3 and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 were in contrast to those of Bcl-2. In the $in$ $vitro$ model, the patterns of Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3 expression and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio were similar to the results obtained in the in vivo model. Conclusion: rHuEPO exerts neuroprotective effect against perinatal HI brain injury via an antiapoptotic mechanism.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.496-505
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• 2015

A variant peak was detected in the analysis of RP-HPLC of rHu-EPO, which has about 7% relative content. Fractions of the main and the variant peaks were pooled separately and further analyzed to identify the molecular structure of the variant peak. Total mass analysis for each peak fraction using ESI-TOF MS shows differences in molecular mass. The fraction of the main peak tends to result in higher molecular masses than the fraction of the variant. The detected masses for the variant are about 600-1000 Da smaller than those for the main peak. Peptide mapping analysis for each peak fraction using Asp-N and Glu-C shows differences in O-glycopeptide profiles at Ser126. The O-glycopeptides were not detected in the fraction of the variant. It is concluded that the variant peak is non-O-glycosylated rHu-EPO and the main peak is fully O-glycosylated rHu-EPO at Ser126.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.266-271
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• 1996

A recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO), expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, is glycosylated at Asn 24, Asn 38, Asn 83, and Ser 126. After release of the N-linked carbohydrate chains by $peptide-N^{4}-(N-acetyl-{\beta}-glucosaminyl)$ asparagine amidase F, the oligosaccharides were analyzed by FACE (Fluorophore-Assisted Carbohydrate Electrophoresis). The O-linked carbohydrate chain was separated by hydrazine, and analyzed by FACE. The monosacccharide composition of recombinant EPO showed man nose, fucose, galactose, N-acetylglucosamine, N-acetylneuraminic acid, and a trace of N-acetylgalactosamine, which are typical monosaccharides in the glycoproteins from the CHO cell. Sequences of N-linked and O-linked oligosaccharides were determined. The structure and composition of oligosaccharides attached to recombinant human EPO, expressed in the CHO cell, are identical to the reported oligosaccharide structure in human EPO isolated from urine.