The CAG promoter maintains high-level transgene expression in HEK293 cells

The vast majority of therapeutic recombinant proteins are produced in mammalian cell lines. However, proteins generated in nonhuman cell lines, such as Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, are decorated with human-like glycan structures that differ from those of human cells, and these may induce immunogenic responses in human cells. Human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293F) are also extensively used as hosts for the expression of recombinant therapeutic proteins, but their utility is limited by the low expression of transgenes in these cells. Here, we investigated recombinant protein expression from eight frequently used promoters in transfected HEK293F cells. The expression levels and stability of the transgenes were evaluated by flow cytometry and qRT-PCR. The most efficient expression (in terms of both mRNA and protein yields) was achieved using a cytomegalovirus (CMV) major immediate-early enhancer combined with the chicken beta-actin promoter (CAG) promoter, as compared to all other tested promoters under both transient and stable transfection conditions. In addition, application of mild hypothermia (i.e., 33 °C) after transfection improved the positive effect of the CMV enhancer fused to the chicken beta-actin promoter (CAG promoter) on enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) expression. Although the temperature sensitivity of the CMV promoter is greater than that of CAG promoter, recombinant protein levels were still highest when expression was driven by the CAG promoter. When eGFP was replaced with hepatitis B surface antigen, the CAG promoter still showed the highest transgene expression. In conclusion, our data show that the CAG promoter is a strong promoter for recombinant protein expression in HEK293F cells.