Marker-free plasmids for gene therapeutic applications—Lack of antibiotic resistance gene substantially improves the manufacturing process

Plasmid DNA is being considered as a promising alternative to traditional protein vaccines or viral delivery methods for gene therapeutic applications. DNA-based products are highly flexible, stable, are easily stored and can be manufactured on a large scale. Although, much safer than viral approaches, issues have been raised with regard to safety due to possible integration of plasmid DNA into cellular DNA or spread of antibiotic resistance genes to intestinal bacteria by horizontal gene transfer. Accordingly, there is interest in methods for the production of plasmid DNA that lacks the antibiotic resistance gene to further improve their safety profile. Here, we report for the first time the gram-scale manufacturing of a minimized plasmid that is devoid of any additional sequence elements on the plasmid backbone, and merely consists of the target expression cassette and the bacterial origin of replication. Three different host/vector combinations were cultivated in a fed-batch fermentation process, comparing the progenitor strain JM108 to modified strains JM108murselect, hosting a plasmid either containing the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase which provides kanamycin resistance, or a marker-free variant of the same plasmid. The metabolic load exerted by expression of the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase was monitored by measuring ppGpp- and cAMP-levels. Moreover, we revealed that JM108 is deficient of the Lon protease and thereby refined the genotype of JM108. The main consequences of Lon-deficiency with regard to plasmid DNA production are discussed herein. Additionally, we found that the expression of the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase, conferring resistance to kanamycin, was very high in plasmid DNA producing processes that actually inclusion bodies were formed. Thereby, a severe metabolic load on the host cell was imposed, detrimental for overall plasmid yield. Hence, deleting the antibiotic resistance gene from the vector backbone is not only beneficial with regards to safety and potency of the end-product but also regarding the overall process performance.