Expression of a bioactive bovine interleukin-12 using baculovirus

Recombinant baculoviruses that express recombinant bovine interleukin-12 (rboIL-12) subunits, p35 and p40 subunits were constructed. A recombinant virus containing the p40 subunit gene expressed the p40 subunit as a 40 kDa monomer and an 80 kDa disulfide-linked homodimer in the infected insect cells and in the culture supernatant. The p35 subunit was expressed in a 30 kDa monomer in the infected cells but not in the supernatant. Superinfection of both recombinant viruses into the cells in a spinner flask resulted in the formation of a 70 kDa disulfide-bonded heterodimer detected in the supernatant by immunoblotting using anti-p40 and anti-p35 subunits antibodies. The superinfected culture supernatant showed induction of IFNγ mRNA synthesis and IFNγ production in bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Thus, the bioactive rboIL-12 was produced in large scale using a baculovirus expression system.