PRODUCTION OF VAMPIRE BAT PLASMINOGEN-ACTIVATOR DSPA ALPHA-1 IN CHO AND INSECT CELLS

Salivary plasminogen activator from the vampire bat Desmodus rotundus (DSPA alpha 1) is a promising new thrombolytic agent. Continuous growt h of a stably transfected, methotrexate amplified, dhfr(-) CHO cell li ne yields up to 60 mg l(-1) of DSPA alpha 1. Utilizing an engineered b aculovirus 10 mg l(-1) were produced in batches of Sf 9 insect cells, Recombinant DSPA al is purified from both sources using a one-step pur ification protocol. Although differences in glycosylation were detecte d, enzymatic activity and fibrin cofactor dependency are unaffected wh en DSPA alpha 1 derived from the two expression systems is compared.