Konrad M
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1983;413:12-22. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1983.tb47874.x.
A frequent motive for genetic engineering is to transfer the gene for the desired protein from a cell that is difficult or impossible to grow into a cell which is easy and inexpensive to handle. In the pharmaceutical field this usually means isolation of a gene coding for a protein secreted by human cells, the protein often being glycosylated. While bacterial cells are an inexpensive host in which to express genes, they do not produce proteins which are glycosylated, nor necessarily properly processed. Thus while there are examples of successful bacterial systems, there is also an intense interest in expression in animal cells. The situation is often complicated by our lack of knowledge of the function, or even the necessity, of glycosylation. Examples of successes and problems in production of insulin and interferons in several hosts have been presented.
基因工程的一个常见动机是将所需蛋白质的基因从难以培养或无法培养的细胞转移到易于操作且成本低廉的细胞中。在制药领域，这通常意味着分离编码人类细胞分泌的蛋白质的基因，这种蛋白质通常是糖基化的。虽然细菌细胞是一种廉价的基因表达宿主，但它们不会产生糖基化的蛋白质，也不一定能进行正确的加工。因此，虽然有成功的细菌系统的例子，但人们对在动物细胞中的表达也有着浓厚的兴趣。由于我们对糖基化的功能甚至必要性缺乏了解，情况往往变得复杂。文中介绍了在几种宿主中生产胰岛素和干扰素的成功案例及问题。
