We have derived from normal human, mouse, and rat postnatal bone marrow primitive, multipotent adult progenitor cells (MAPCs) that can differentiate into most mesodermal cells and neuroectodermal cells in vitro and into all embryonic lineages in vivo. Here, we show that MAPCs can also differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells in vitro. Human, mouse, and rat MAPCs, cultured on Matrigel with FGF-4 and HGF, differentiated into epithelioid cells that expressed hepatocyte nuclear factor-3beta (HNF-3beta), GATA4, cytokeratin 19 (CK19), transthyretin, and alpha-fetoprotein by day 7, and expressed CK18, HNF-4, and HNF-1alpha on days 14-28. Virtually all human, as well as a majority of rodent cells stained positive for albumin and CK18 on day 21; 5% (rodent) to 25% (human) cells were binucleated by day 21. These cells also acquired functional characteristics of hepatocytes: they secreted urea and albumin, had phenobarbital-inducible cytochrome p450, could take up LDL, and stored glycogen. MAPCs, which can be expanded in vitro and maintained in an undifferentiated state for more than 100 population doublings, can thus differentiate into cells with morphological, phenotypic, and functional characteristics of hepatocytes. MAPCs may therefore be an ideal cell for in vivo therapies for liver disorders or for use in bioartificial liver devices.

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A hybridoma cell line was cultivated in fed-batch cultures using a low-protein, serum-free medium. On-line oxygen uptake rate (OUR) measurement was used to adjust the nutrient feeding rate based on glucose consumption, which was estimated on-line using the stoichiometric relations between glucose and oxygen consumption. Through on-line control of the nutrient feeding rate, not only sufficient were supplied for cell growth and antibody production, but also the concentrations of glucose and other important nutrients such as amino acids were maintained at low levels during the cell growth phase. During the cultivation, cell metabolism changed from high lactate production and low oxygen consumption to low lactate production and high oxygen consumption. As a result the accumulation of lactate was reduced and the growth phase was extended. In comparison with the batch cultures, in which cells reached a concentration of approximately 2 x 10(6) cells/mL, a very high concentration of 1.36 x 10(7) cells/mL with a high cell viability (>90%) was achieved in the fed-batch culture. By considering the consumption of glucose and amino acids, as well as the production of cell mass, metabolites, and antibodies, a well-closed material balance was established. Our results demonstrate the value of coupling on-line OUR measurement and the stoichiometric relations for dynamic nutrient feeding in high cell concentration fed batch cultures.

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Sodium butyrate has been known to increase the specific productivity of recombinant proteins in mammalian cells. In quest of physiological mechanisms leading to the increased productivity, DNA microarray and two dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) were used to assess the response of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and a mouse hybridoma cell (MAK) to butyrate treatment at the transcriptome and proteome level. The expression of the orthologous genes represented on both CHO cDNA and mouse Affymetrix microarray, as well as genes in the same ontological class were compared. Only a relatively small number of orthologs changed their expression consistently between the two cell lines, however, at a functional class level many genes involved in cell cycle and apoptosis were affected in both cell lines. Furthermore, a large number of genes involved in protein processing, secretion and redox activity were upregulated in both CHO and MAK cells. More genes showed a consistent trend of change at both transcript and protein levels than those which showed opposite trend in MAK cells. Overall the results suggested that the changes arising in the protein processing machinery may be responsible for the increased productivity upon butyrate treatment in both CHO and MAK cells.

The on-line determination of the physiological state of a cell culture process requires reliable on-line measurements of various parameters and calculations of specific rates from these measurements. The cell concentration of a hybridoma culture was estimated on-line by measuring optical density (OD) with a laser turbidity probe. The oxygen uptake rate (OUR) was determined by monitoring dynamically dissolved oxygen concentration profiles and closing oxygen balances in the culture. The base addition for neutralizing lactate produced by cells was also monitored on-line via a balance. Using OD and OUR measurements, the specific growth and specific oxygen consumption rates were determined on-line. By combining predetermined stoichiometric relationships among oxygen and glucose consumption and lactate production, the specific glucose consumption and lactate production rates were also calculated on-line. Using these on-line measurements and calculations, the hybridoma culture process was characterized on-line by identifying the physiological states. They will also facilitate the implementation of nutrient feeding strategies for fed-batch and perfusion cultures. (c) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Background: The genomes of Streptomyces coelicolor and Streptomyces lividans bear a considerable degree of synteny. While S. coelicolor is the model streptomycete for studying antibiotic synthesis and differentiation, S. lividans is almost exclusively considered as the preferred host, among actinomycetes, for cloning and expression of exogenous DNA. We used whole genome microarrays as a comparative genomics tool for identifying the subtle differences between these two chromosomes.

Gradients of biological molecules on a microscale have been postulated to elicit cellular responses, such as migration. However, it has been difficult to prepare such gradients for experimental testing. A means for producing such gradients has been developed using a heterobifunctional photolinking agent with laser light activation. The photolinking agent synthesized includes an N-hydroxysuccinimide group and a photoreactive benzophenone (BP) separated by a tetraethylene glycol (TEG) spacer. The presence of the tetraethylene glycol spacer renders the photolinker hydrophilic, a desirable trait for conjugation in aqueous solutions. The linker was then conjugated to R-phycoerythrin (R-PE), a fluorescent protein. The resulting photolinker-R-phycoerythrin conjugate (BP-TEG-PE) was then immobilized onto a polystyrene surface by laser irradiation on a motorized stage. By varying exposure time of the sample to the beam, the amount of BP-TEG-PE immobilized on the surface was changed over an order of magnitude over a distance of 250 microns. This method can be applied to prepare gradients of proteins that elicit biological responses, such as extracellular matrix proteins or growth factors, and to study the biological effects of such gradients.