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Zahmanova G, Aljabali AAA, Takova K, Minkov G, Tambuwala MM, Minkov I, Lomonossoff GP. Green Biologics: Harnessing the Power of Plants to Produce Pharmaceuticals. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17575. [PMID: 38139405 PMCID: PMC10743837 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants are increasingly used for the production of high-quality biological molecules for use as pharmaceuticals and biomaterials in industry. Plants have proved that they can produce life-saving therapeutic proteins (Elelyso™-Gaucher's disease treatment, ZMapp™-anti-Ebola monoclonal antibodies, seasonal flu vaccine, Covifenz™-SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particle vaccine); however, some of these therapeutic proteins are difficult to bring to market, which leads to serious difficulties for the manufacturing companies. The closure of one of the leading companies in the sector (the Canadian biotech company Medicago Inc., producer of Covifenz) as a result of the withdrawal of investments from the parent company has led to the serious question: What is hindering the exploitation of plant-made biologics to improve health outcomes? Exploring the vast potential of plants as biological factories, this review provides an updated perspective on plant-derived biologics (PDB). A key focus is placed on the advancements in plant-based expression systems and highlighting cutting-edge technologies that streamline the production of complex protein-based biologics. The versatility of plant-derived biologics across diverse fields, such as human and animal health, industry, and agriculture, is emphasized. This review also meticulously examines regulatory considerations specific to plant-derived biologics, shedding light on the disparities faced compared to biologics produced in other systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergana Zahmanova
- Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (K.T.)
- Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Alaa A. A. Aljabali
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Yarmouk University, Irbid 21163, Jordan;
| | - Katerina Takova
- Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (K.T.)
| | - George Minkov
- Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (K.T.)
| | - Murtaza M. Tambuwala
- Lincoln Medical School, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool Campus, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK;
| | - Ivan Minkov
- Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnologies, 4108 Markovo, Bulgaria
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Wang Y, Zeng J, Su P, Zhao H, Li L, Xie X, Zhang Q, Wu Y, Wang R, Zhang Y, Yu B, Chen M, Wang Y, Yang G, He G, Chang J, Li Y. An established protocol for generating transgenic wheat for wheat functional genomics via particle bombardment. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:979540. [PMID: 36570946 PMCID: PMC9772560 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.979540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Wheat is one of the most important food crops in the world and is considered one of the top targets in crop biotechnology. With the high-quality reference genomes of wheat and its relative species and the recent burst of genomic resources in Triticeae, demands to perform gene functional studies in wheat and genetic improvement have been rapidly increasing, requiring that production of transgenic wheat should become a routine technique. While established for more than 20 years, the particle bombardment-mediated wheat transformation has not become routine yet, with only a handful of labs being proficient in this technique. This could be due to, at least partly, the low transformation efficiency and the technical difficulties. Here, we describe the current version of this method through adaptation and optimization. We report the detailed protocol of producing transgenic wheat by the particle gun, including several critical steps, from the selection of appropriate explants (i.e., immature scutella), the preparation of DNA-coated gold particles, and several established strategies of tissue culture. More importantly, with over 20 years of experience in wheat transformation in our lab, we share the many technical details and recommendations and emphasize that the particle bombardment-mediated approach has fewer limitations in genotype dependency and vector construction when compared with the Agrobacterium-mediated methods. The particle bombardment-mediated method has been successful for over 30 wheat genotypes, from the tetraploid durum wheat to the hexaploid common wheat, from modern elite varieties to landraces. In conclusion, the particle bombardment-mediated wheat transformation has demonstrated its potential and wide applications, and the full set of protocol, experience, and successful reports in many wheat genotypes described here will further its impacts, making it a routine and robust technique in crop research labs worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqiong Wang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jian Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation of Food and Medicinal Resources in Northern Region, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan, Guangdong, China
| | - Peipei Su
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hongyan Zhao
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Li Li
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoxue Xie
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ya’nan Wu
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ruibin Wang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yufan Zhang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Boju Yu
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Mingjie Chen
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuesheng Wang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Guangxiao Yang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Guangyuan He
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Junli Chang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yin Li
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
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Davern SM, McKnight TE, Standaert RF, Morrell-Falvey JL, Shpak ED, Kalluri UC, Jelenska J, Greenberg JT, Mirzadeh S. Carbon Nanofiber Arrays: A Novel Tool for Microdelivery of Biomolecules to Plants. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153621. [PMID: 27119338 PMCID: PMC4847769 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Effective methods for delivering bioprobes into the cells of intact plants are essential for investigating diverse biological processes. Increasing research on trees, such as Populus spp., for bioenergy applications is driving the need for techniques that work well with tree species. This report introduces vertically aligned carbon nanofiber (VACNF) arrays as a new tool for microdelivery of labeled molecules to Populus leaf tissue and whole plants. We demonstrated that VACNFs penetrate the leaf surface to deliver sub-microliter quantities of solution containing fluorescent or radiolabeled molecules into Populus leaf cells. Importantly, VACNFs proved to be gentler than abrasion with carborundum, a common way to introduce material into leaves. Unlike carborundum, VACNFs did not disrupt cell or tissue integrity, nor did they induce production of hydrogen peroxide, a typical wound response. We show that femtomole to picomole quantities of labeled molecules (fluorescent dyes, small proteins and dextran), ranging from 0.5-500 kDa, can be introduced by VACNFs, and we demonstrate the use of the approach to track delivered probes from their site of introduction on the leaf to distal plant regions. VACNF arrays thus offer an attractive microdelivery method for the introduction of biomolecules and other probes into trees and potentially other types of plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra M. Davern
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Timothy E. McKnight
- Electrical & Electronics Systems Research Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Robert F. Standaert
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States of America
- Biology & Soft Matter Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular & Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Jennifer L. Morrell-Falvey
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular & Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Elena D. Shpak
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular & Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Udaya C. Kalluri
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Joanna Jelenska
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Jean T. Greenberg
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Saed Mirzadeh
- Nuclear Security & Isotope Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States of America
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Abstract
Genetic transformation of plants is an innovative research tool which has practical significance for the development of new and improved genotypes or cultivars. However, stable introduction of genes of interest into nuclear genomes depends on several factors such as the choice of target tissue, the method of DNA delivery in the target tissue, and the appropriate method to select the transformed plants. Mature or immature zygotic embryos have been a popular choice as explant or target tissue for genetic transformation in both angiosperms and gymnosperms. As a result, considerable protocols have emerged in the literature which have been optimized for various plant species in terms of transformation methods and selection procedures for transformed plants. This article summarizes the recent advances in plant transformation using zygotic embryos as explants.
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Dunaliella as an attractive candidate for molecular farming. Mol Biol Rep 2009; 37:3427-30. [PMID: 19943116 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-009-9933-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2009] [Accepted: 11/16/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Pharmaceutical recombinant proteins are widely used in human healthcare. At present, several protein expression systems are available to generate therapeutic proteins. These conventional systems have distinct advantages and disadvantages in protein yielding; in terms of ease of manipulation, the time required from gene transformation to protein purification, cost of production and scaling-up capitalization, proper folding and stability of active proteins. Depending on the research goal and priorities, a special system may be selected for protein expression. However, considering the limited variety of organisms currently used and their usage restrictions, there are still much more pharmaceutical proteins waiting to be economically and efficiently produced. Distinguished biological and technical features of microalgae Dunaliella such as inexpensive medium requirement, fast growth rate, the ease of manipulation, easy scaling up procedure, facility of milking in bioreactors and the ability of post-translational modifications make this microorganism an attractive candidate for molecular farming.
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