Characterization of large transgene integrations in Chinese hamster ovary cells using a bioengineered mammalian transposase

We present the first use of a bioengineered mammalian transposase system derived from Myotis lucifugus (bMLT) for integration of expression vectors into the CHO genome, focusing on GFP and trastuzumab production. Initially, CHO-K1 cells are transfected with a GFP reporter and varying amounts of bMLT DNA or mRNA. GFP expression is monitored over 17 weeks without selective pressure. Transfection efficiency shows around 90% GFP-positive cells, but in control cultures GFP expression disappears after 10 days. In contrast, bMLT-treated cultures maintain stable GFP expression, with a dose-dependent integration efficiency of up to 60%. The highest GFP expression per cell is observed with lower bMLT amounts. Next-generation sequencing analysis reveals multiple integration sites, with 85% correctly integrated sequences. Next, CHO-GS^−/− cells are transfected with trastuzumab and bMLT DNA or mRNA. Cells are selected in glutamine-free medium with varying methionine sulfoximine (MSX) concentrations. Recovery is faster without MSX, and no difference is observed between bMLT DNA and mRNA transfections. bMLT-treated cultures show a higher percentage of trastuzumab-secreting cells (40%–55%) compared with random integration (0.3%–0.5%). The absence of insulators in the trastuzumab plasmid likely affects selection behavior, as integration in heterochromatic regions results in gene repression. Overall, bMLT-mediated integration proves efficient, generating stable cell pools with high expression profiles without selective pressure. The integration sites' genomic location significantly impacts productivity, with favorable regions supporting higher expression. This method shows promise for the rapid and efficient generation of high-producing cell lines and for rapid evaluation of long-term effects of different cell engineering approaches.