Scale-up of recombinant Opc protein production in Escherichia coli for a meningococcal vaccine

• Published in: Journal of biotechnology 2006-12, Vol.127 (1), p.109-114
• Main Authors: Pérez, Raúl Espinosa, Lasa, Alexis Musacchio, Rodríguez, Ricardo Silva, Menéndez, Evelin Caballero, Suárez, José García, Balaguer, Héctor Díaz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins - biosynthesis; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Meningitis, Meningococcal - prevention & control; Meningococcal Vaccines - biosynthesis; Models, Biological; Neisseria meningitides; Neisseria meningitidis; Opc; Recombinant protein; Recombinant Proteins - biosynthesis; Scale-up; Technology, Pharmaceutical - methods
• ISSN: 0168-1656; 1873-4863
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2006.06.005

Opc is an outer membrane protein from Neisseria meningitidis present in meningococcal vaccine preparations. The opc gene, codifying for this protein, was cloned in to Escherichia coli and the Opc protein was expressed under the control of a tryptophan promoter. The recombinant strain was grown in batch cultures. Opc was expressed as inclusion bodies at about 32% of the total cellular protein. We examined the scale-up culture conditions for the production of the recombinant Opc. The scale-up process was performed from 1.5 l to 50 l culture, using first, the constant power per unit of volume ( P/ V) as main scaling criteria, and then the oxygen mass transfer coefficient ( K L a) scaling criteria to adjust the optimal aeration conditions. A final productivity of 52 mg l −1 h −1 was obtained at the 50 l culture scale compared with the 49 mg l −1 h −1 productivity at 1.5 l laboratory scale.