Role of epigenetics in expression of recombinant proteins from mammalian cells

Abstract

Optimizing productivity from recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells requires understanding of the transcriptional and translational regulatory processes. Several ‘omics approaches have been utilized to characterize these processes. Still, many questions remain unanswered as to the mechanisms underlying transgene expression. As a result, bioprocess development still remains highly variable, and the cell selection process must be repeated for every new product synthesized. It has become clear that epigenetic processes play a role in recombinant protein expression and that gaining a better understanding of these processes will aid in process development and cell-line selection. In this perspective, we highlight our current knowledge of the influence of various epigenetic factors that control recombinant protein expression.