BACULOVIRUS-MEDIATED PRODUCTION OF THE HUMAN GROWTH-HORMONE IN LARVAEOF THE SILKWORM, BOMBYX-MORI

To express the cDNA encoding human growth hormone (hGH) in larvae of B ombyx mori, B. mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) was employed as an expression vector. For the construction of the recombinant virus, the hGH cDNA was inserted into the downstream of the strong polydedrin promoter to achieve a high level expression. Immunoblot analysis reve aled that the virus-mediated hGH was synthesized in the larvae and sec reted into the hemolymph. The yield of the recombinant hGH synthesized in the larvae reached to a level of 160 mu g/ml of hemolymph after pu rification. The purified recombinant hGH was confirmed to have both th e same molecular weight and amino acid sequence at its N-terminal regi on as those of the natural counterpart. In addition, the biological ac tivity of the recombinant hGH was comparable to that of the natural hG H in the growth-stimulating effect on rat Nb 2 Node lymphoma cells. (C ) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.