Organ specific expression of recombinant proteins in transgenic fish will be examined as an alternative to the production of complex proteins in tissue culture cells or the milk of large domestic animals. Fish have a high reproductive capacity, short breeding cycles, and embryos that are easy to manipulate. The fish bioreactor system will be appropriate for quick production of small quantities of protein for pre-clinical evaluation, and scale up to commercial production, at substantially lower costs than the current methods. Human coagulation Factor VII was chosen to test liver specific expression in fish. The recombinant protein will be purified and analyzed for specific activity, extent of gamma carboxylation of glutamic acid residues, and the degree of glycosylation. The expression level, purity and the cost per unit (or microgram) of the enzyme produced in fish can then be compared to those values for Factor VII products from other sources.
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