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Adegbaju MS, Ajose T, Adegbaju IE, Omosebi T, Ajenifujah-Solebo SO, Falana OY, Shittu OB, Adetunji CO, Akinbo O. Genetic engineering and genome editing technologies as catalyst for Africa's food security: the case of plant biotechnology in Nigeria. Front Genome Ed 2024; 6:1398813. [PMID: 39045572 PMCID: PMC11263695 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2024.1398813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Many African countries are unable to meet the food demands of their growing population and the situation is worsened by climate change and disease outbreaks. This issue of food insecurity may lead to a crisis of epic proportion if effective measures are not in place to make more food available. Thus, deploying biotechnology towards the improvement of existing crop varieties for tolerance or resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses is crucial to increasing crop production. In order to optimize crop production, several African countries have implemented strategies to make the most of this innovative technology. For example, Nigerian government has implemented the National Biotechnology Policy to facilitate capacity building, research, bioresource development and commercialization of biotechnology products for over two decades. Several government ministries, research centers, universities, and agencies have worked together to implement the policy, resulting in the release of some genetically modified crops to farmers for cultivation and Commercialization, which is a significant accomplishment. However, the transgenic crops were only brought to Nigeria for confined field trials; the manufacturing of the transgenic crops took place outside the country. This may have contributed to the suspicion of pressure groups and embolden proponents of biotechnology as an alien technology. Likewise, this may also be the underlying issue preventing the adoption of biotechnology products in other African countries. It is therefore necessary that African universities develop capacity in various aspects of biotechnology, to continuously train indigenous scientists who can generate innovative ideas tailored towards solving problems that are peculiar to respective country. Therefore, this study intends to establish the role of genetic engineering and genome editing towards the achievement of food security in Africa while using Nigeria as a case study. In our opinion, biotechnology approaches will not only complement conventional breeding methods in the pursuit of crop improvements, but it remains a viable and sustainable means of tackling specific issues hindering optimal crop production. Furthermore, we suggest that financial institutions should offer low-interest loans to new businesses. In order to promote the growth of biotechnology products, especially through the creation of jobs and revenues through molecular farming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muyiwa Seyi Adegbaju
- Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management, Federal University of Technology Akure, Akure, Ondo, Nigeria
| | - Titilayo Ajose
- Fruits and Spices Department, National Horticultural Institute, Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria
| | | | - Temitayo Omosebi
- Department of Agricultural Technology, Federal College of Forestry, Jos, Nigeria
| | | | - Olaitan Yetunde Falana
- Department of Genetics, Genomic and Bioinformatics, National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Olufunke Bolatito Shittu
- Department of Microbiology, College of Biosciences, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
| | | | - Olalekan Akinbo
- African Union Development Agency-NEPAD, Office of Science, Technology and Innovation, Midrand, South Africa
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2
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Park C, Kim K, Kim Y, Zhu R, Hain L, Seferovic H, Kim MH, Woo HJ, Hwang H, Lee SH, Kim S, Lee JE, Hinterdorfer P, Ko K, Park S, Oh YJ. Plant-Derived Anti-Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 Antibody Suppresses Trastuzumab-Resistant Breast Cancer with Enhanced Nanoscale Binding. ACS NANO 2024; 18:16126-16140. [PMID: 38764224 PMCID: PMC11210341 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c00360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Traditional monoclonal antibodies such as Trastuzumab encounter limitations when treating Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer, particularly in cases that develop resistance. This study introduces plant-derived anti-HER2 variable fragments of camelid heavy chain domain (VHH) fragment crystallizable region (Fc) KEDL(K) antibody as a potent alternative for overcoming these limitations. A variety of biophysical techniques, in vitro assays, and in vivo experiments uncover the antibody's nanoscale binding dynamics with transmembrane HER2 on living cells. Single-molecule force spectroscopy reveals the rapid formation of two robust bonds, exhibiting approximately 50 pN force resistance and bond lifetimes in the second range. The antibody demonstrates a specific affinity for HER2-positive breast cancer cells, including those that are Trastuzumab-resistant. Moreover, in immune-deficient mice, the plant-derived anti-HER2 VHH-FcK antibody exhibits superior antitumor activity, especially against tumors that are resistant to Trastuzumab. These findings underscore the plant-derived antibody's potential as an impactful immunotherapeutic strategy for treating Trastuzumab-resistant HER2-positive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanyong Park
- School
of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan
University, Suwon 16419, Korea
| | - Kibum Kim
- Department
of Medicine, Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea
| | - Yerin Kim
- Department
of Medicine, Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea
| | - Rong Zhu
- Department
of Applied Experimental Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4040 Linz, Austria
| | - Lisa Hain
- Department
of Applied Experimental Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4040 Linz, Austria
| | - Hannah Seferovic
- Department
of Applied Experimental Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4040 Linz, Austria
| | - Min-Hyeok Kim
- School
of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan
University, Suwon 16419, Korea
| | - Hyun Joo Woo
- Major
of Nano-Bioengineering, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea
| | - Hyunju Hwang
- Department
of Medicine, Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea
| | - Seung Ho Lee
- Major
of Nano-Bioengineering, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea
| | - Sangmin Kim
- Department
of Breast Cancer Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 06351, Korea
| | - Jeong Eon Lee
- Division
of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 06351, Korea
| | - Peter Hinterdorfer
- Department
of Applied Experimental Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4040 Linz, Austria
| | - Kisung Ko
- Department
of Medicine, Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea
| | - Sungsu Park
- School
of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan
University, Suwon 16419, Korea
| | - Yoo Jin Oh
- Department
of Applied Experimental Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4040 Linz, Austria
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3
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Mahdizade Ari M, Dadgar L, Elahi Z, Ghanavati R, Taheri B. Genetically Engineered Microorganisms and Their Impact on Human Health. Int J Clin Pract 2024; 2024:6638269. [PMID: 38495751 PMCID: PMC10944348 DOI: 10.1155/2024/6638269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, the decreased effectiveness of conventional therapies, and the side effects have led researchers to seek a safer, more cost-effective, patient-friendly, and effective method that does not develop antibiotic resistance. With progress in synthetic biology and genetic engineering, genetically engineered microorganisms effective in treatment, prophylaxis, drug delivery, and diagnosis have been developed. The present study reviews the types of genetically engineered bacteria and phages, their impacts on diseases, cancer, and metabolic and inflammatory disorders, the biosynthesis of these modified strains, the route of administration, and their effects on the environment. We conclude that genetically engineered microorganisms can be considered promising candidates for adjunctive treatment of diseases and cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzie Mahdizade Ari
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Microbial Biotechnology Research Centre, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Leila Dadgar
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Microbial Biotechnology Research Centre, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Elahi
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Microbial Biotechnology Research Centre, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Behrouz Taheri
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapour University of medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
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4
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Nguyen TM, Wu PY, Chang CH, Huang LF. High-yield BMP2 expression in rice cells via CRISPR and endogenous αAmy3 promoter. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:206. [PMID: 38353738 PMCID: PMC10867061 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13054-0] [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: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Plant cells serve as versatile platforms for the production of high-value recombinant proteins. This study explored the efficacy of utilizing an endogenous αAmy3 promoter for the expression of a bioactive pharmaceutical protein, specifically the mature region of human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (hBMP2m). Utilizing a refined CRISPR/Cas9-mediated intron-targeting insertion technique, which incorporates an artificial 3' splicing site upstream of the target gene, we achieved a transformation efficiency of 13.5% in rice calli that carried the rice-codon optimized mature region of hBMP2 cDNA (rhBMP2m) in the αAmy3 intron 1. Both homozygous and heterozygous rhBMP2m knock-in rice suspension cell lines were generated. These lines demonstrated the endogenous αAmy3 promoter regulated rhBMP2m mRNA and rhBMP2m recombinant protein expression, with strongly upregulation in respond to sugar depletion. The homozygous rhBMP2m knock-in cell line yielded an impressive 21.5 μg/mL of rhBMP2m recombinant protein, accounting for 1.03% of the total soluble protein. The high-yield expression was stably maintained across two generations, indicating the genetic stability of rhBMP2m gene knock-in at the αAmy3 intron 1 locus. Additionally, the rice cell-derived rhBMP2m proteins were found to be glycosylated, capable of dimer formation, and bioactive. Our results indicate that the endogenous rice αAmy3 promoter-signal peptide-based expression system is an effective strategy for producing bioactive pharmaceutical proteins. KEY POINTS: • The endogenous αAmy3 promoter-based expression system enhanced the yield of BMP2 • The increased yield of BMP2 accounted for 1.03% of the total rice-soluble proteins • The rice-produced BMP2 showed glycosylation modifications, dimer formation, and bioactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Mai Nguyen
- Graduate School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Department of Life Sciences, National Central University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Pei-Yi Wu
- Department of Life Sciences, National Central University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Chih-Hung Chang
- Graduate School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Li-Fen Huang
- Graduate School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, Republic of China.
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5
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Santoni M, Gutierrez-Valdes N, Pivotto D, Zanichelli E, Rosa A, Sobrino-Mengual G, Balieu J, Lerouge P, Bardor M, Cecchetto R, Compri M, Mazzariol A, Ritala A, Avesani L. Performance of plant-produced RBDs as SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic reagents: a tale of two plant platforms. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 14:1325162. [PMID: 38239207 PMCID: PMC10794598 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1325162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for rapid and cost-effective diagnostic tools. Serological tests, particularly those measuring antibodies targeting the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the virus, play a pivotal role in tracking infection dynamics and vaccine effectiveness. In this study, we aimed to develop a simple enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measuring RBD-specific antibodies, comparing two plant-based platforms for diagnostic reagent production. We chose to retain RBD in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to prevent potential immunoreactivity issues associated with plant-specific glycans. We produced ER-retained RBD in two plant systems: a stable transformation of BY-2 plant cell culture (BY2-RBD) and a transient transformation in Nicotiana benthamiana using the MagnICON system (NB-RBD). Both systems demonstrated their suitability, with varying yields and production timelines. The plant-made proteins revealed unexpected differences in N-glycan profiles, with BY2-RBD displaying oligo-mannosidic N-glycans and NB-RBD exhibiting a more complex glycan profile. This difference may be attributed to higher recombinant protein synthesis in the N. benthamiana system, potentially overloading the ER retention signal, causing some proteins to traffic to the Golgi apparatus. When used as diagnostic reagents in ELISA, BY2-RBD outperformed NB-RBD in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and correlation with a commercial kit. This discrepancy may be due to the distinct glycan profiles, as complex glycans on NB-RBD may impact immunoreactivity. In conclusion, our study highlights the potential of plant-based systems for rapid diagnostic reagent production during emergencies. However, transient expression systems, while offering shorter timelines, introduce higher heterogeneity in recombinant protein forms, necessitating careful consideration in serological test development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Denise Pivotto
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Elena Zanichelli
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | | | - Guillermo Sobrino-Mengual
- Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Univ, GlycoMEV UR 4358, SFR Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Innovation Chimie Carnot, IRIB, GDR CNRS Chemobiologie, RMT BESTIM, Rouen, France
- Applied Plant Biotechnology Group, Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio CERCA Center, Lleida, Spain
| | - Juliette Balieu
- Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Univ, GlycoMEV UR 4358, SFR Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Innovation Chimie Carnot, IRIB, GDR CNRS Chemobiologie, RMT BESTIM, Rouen, France
| | - Patrice Lerouge
- Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Univ, GlycoMEV UR 4358, SFR Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Innovation Chimie Carnot, IRIB, GDR CNRS Chemobiologie, RMT BESTIM, Rouen, France
| | - Muriel Bardor
- Université de Rouen Normandie, Normandie Univ, GlycoMEV UR 4358, SFR Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Innovation Chimie Carnot, IRIB, GDR CNRS Chemobiologie, RMT BESTIM, Rouen, France
| | - Riccardo Cecchetto
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Microbiology Section, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Monica Compri
- Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, UOC Microbiologia e Virologia, Verona, Italy
| | - Annarita Mazzariol
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Microbiology Section, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Anneli Ritala
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo, Finland
| | - Linda Avesani
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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6
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Thagun C, Suzuki T, Kodama Y, Numata K. C-Terminal Domain Controls Protein Quality and Secretion of Spider Silk in Tobacco Cells. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023; 7:e2300011. [PMID: 37409415 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
The remarkable mechanical strength and extensibility of spider dragline silk spidroins are attributed to the major ampullate silk proteins (MaSp). Although fragmented MaSp molecules have been extensively produced in various heterologous expression platforms for biotechnological applications, complete MaSp molecules are required to achieve instinctive spinning of spidroin fibers from aqueous solutions. Here, a plant cell-based expression platform for extracellular production of the entire MaSp2 protein is developed, which exhibits remarkable self-assembly properties to form spider silk nanofibrils. The engineered transgenic Bright-yellow 2 (BY-2) cell lines overexpressing recombinant secretory MaSp2 proteins yield 0.6-1.3 µg L-1 at 22 days post-inoculation, which is four times higher than those of cytosolic expressions. However, only 10-15% of these secretory MaSp2 proteins are discharged into the culture media. Surprisingly, expression of functional domain-truncated MaSp2 proteins lacking the C-terminal domain in transgenic BY-2 cells increases recombinant protein secretion incredibly, from 0.9 to 2.8 mg L-1 per day within 7 days. These findings demonstrate significant improvement in the extracellular production of recombinant biopolymers such as spider silk spidroins using plant cells. In addition, the results reveal the regulatory roles of the C-terminal domain of MaSp2 proteins in controlling their protein quality and secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chonprakun Thagun
- Department of Material Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto-Daigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan
- Center for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya University, Tochigi, 321-8505, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Suzuki
- Center for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya University, Tochigi, 321-8505, Japan
| | - Yutaka Kodama
- Center for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya University, Tochigi, 321-8505, Japan
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Department of Material Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto-Daigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
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7
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Parthiban S, Vijeesh T, Gayathri T, Shanmugaraj B, Sharma A, Sathishkumar R. Artificial intelligence-driven systems engineering for next-generation plant-derived biopharmaceuticals. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1252166. [PMID: 38034587 PMCID: PMC10684705 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1252166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant biopharmaceuticals including antigens, antibodies, hormones, cytokines, single-chain variable fragments, and peptides have been used as vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics. Plant molecular pharming is a robust platform that uses plants as an expression system to produce simple and complex recombinant biopharmaceuticals on a large scale. Plant system has several advantages over other host systems such as humanized expression, glycosylation, scalability, reduced risk of human or animal pathogenic contaminants, rapid and cost-effective production. Despite many advantages, the expression of recombinant proteins in plant system is hindered by some factors such as non-human post-translational modifications, protein misfolding, conformation changes and instability. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a vital role in various fields of biotechnology and in the aspect of plant molecular pharming, a significant increase in yield and stability can be achieved with the intervention of AI-based multi-approach to overcome the hindrance factors. Current limitations of plant-based recombinant biopharmaceutical production can be circumvented with the aid of synthetic biology tools and AI algorithms in plant-based glycan engineering for protein folding, stability, viability, catalytic activity and organelle targeting. The AI models, including but not limited to, neural network, support vector machines, linear regression, Gaussian process and regressor ensemble, work by predicting the training and experimental data sets to design and validate the protein structures thereby optimizing properties such as thermostability, catalytic activity, antibody affinity, and protein folding. This review focuses on, integrating systems engineering approaches and AI-based machine learning and deep learning algorithms in protein engineering and host engineering to augment protein production in plant systems to meet the ever-expanding therapeutics market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subramanian Parthiban
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India
| | - Thandarvalli Vijeesh
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India
| | - Thashanamoorthi Gayathri
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India
| | - Balamurugan Shanmugaraj
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India
| | - Ashutosh Sharma
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Centre of Bioengineering, Queretaro, Mexico
| | - Ramalingam Sathishkumar
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India
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8
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Dutta B, Loo S, Kam A, Tam JP. Plant-derived cell-penetrating microprotein α-astratide aM1 targets Akt signaling and alleviates insulin resistance. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:293. [PMID: 37715850 PMCID: PMC10505102 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04937-y] [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: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
Insulin-resistant diabetes is a common metabolic disease with serious complications. Treatments directly addressing the underlying molecular mechanisms involving insulin resistance would be desirable. Our laboratory recently identified a proteolytic-resistant cystine-dense microprotein from huáng qí (Astragalus membranaceus) called α-astratide aM1, which shares high sequence homology to leginsulins. Here we show that aM1 is a cell-penetrating insulin mimetic, enters cells by endocytosis, and activates the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway independent of the insulin receptor leading to translocation of glucose transporter GLUT4 to the cell surface to promote glucose uptake. We also showed that aM1 alters gene expression, suppresses lipid synthesis and uptake, and inhibits intracellular lipid accumulation in myotubes and adipocytes. By reducing intracellular lipid accumulation and preventing lipid-induced, PKCθ-mediated degradation of IRS1/2, aM1 restores glucose uptake to overcome insulin resistance. These findings highlight the potential of aM1 as a lead for developing orally bioavailable insulin mimetics to expand options for treating diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bamaprasad Dutta
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Shining Loo
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
- Academy of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Antony Kam
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - James P Tam
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore.
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9
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Tiwari P, Srivastava Y, Sharma A, Vinayagam R. Antimicrobial Peptides: The Production of Novel Peptide-Based Therapeutics in Plant Systems. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1875. [PMID: 37763279 PMCID: PMC10532476 DOI: 10.3390/life13091875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The increased prevalence of antibiotic resistance is alarming and has a significant impact on the economies of emerging and underdeveloped nations. The redundancy of antibiotic discovery platforms (ADPs) and injudicious use of conventional antibiotics has severely impacted millions, across the globe. Potent antimicrobials from biological sources have been extensively explored as a ray of hope to counter the growing menace of antibiotic resistance in the population. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are gaining momentum as powerful antimicrobial therapies to combat drug-resistant bacterial strains. The tremendous therapeutic potential of natural and synthesized AMPs as novel and potent antimicrobials is highlighted by their unique mode of action, as exemplified by multiple research initiatives. Recent advances and developments in antimicrobial discovery and research have increased our understanding of the structure, characteristics, and function of AMPs; nevertheless, knowledge gaps still need to be addressed before these therapeutic options can be fully exploited. This thematic article provides a comprehensive insight into the potential of AMPs as potent arsenals to counter drug-resistant pathogens, a historical overview and recent advances, and their efficient production in plants, defining novel upcoming trends in drug discovery and research. The advances in synthetic biology and plant-based expression systems for AMP production have defined new paradigms in the efficient production of potent antimicrobials in plant systems, a prospective approach to countering drug-resistant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Tiwari
- Department of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea;
| | - Yashdeep Srivastava
- RR Institute of Modern Technology, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226201, Uttar Pradesh, India;
| | - Abhishek Sharma
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research, Koba Institutional Area, Gandhinagar 392426, Gujarat, India;
| | - Ramachandran Vinayagam
- Department of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea;
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10
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Shanmugaraj B, Jirarojwattana P, Phoolcharoen W. Molecular Farming Strategy for the Rapid Production of Protein-Based Reagents for Use in Infectious Disease Diagnostics. PLANTA MEDICA 2023; 89:1010-1020. [PMID: 37072112 DOI: 10.1055/a-2076-2034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant proteins are a major breakthrough in biomedical research with a wide range of applications from diagnostics to therapeutics. Strategic construct design, consistent expression platforms, and suitable upstream and downstream techniques are key considerations to produce commercially viable recombinant proteins. The recombinant antigenic protein production for use either as a diagnostic reagent or subunit vaccine formulation is usually carried out in prokaryotic or eukaryotic expression platforms. Microbial and mammalian systems dominate the biopharmaceutical industry for such applications. However, there is no universal expression system that can meet all the requirements for different types of proteins. The adoptability of any expression system is likely based on the quality and quantity of the proteins that can be produced from it. The huge demand of recombinant proteins for different applications requires an inexpensive production platform for rapid development. The molecular farming scientific community has been promoting the plant system for nearly 3 decades as a cost-effective alternative to produce high-quality proteins for research, diagnostic, and therapeutic applications. Here, we discuss how plant biotechnology could offer solutions for the rapid and scalable production of protein antigens as low-cost diagnostic reagents for use in functional assays.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Perawat Jirarojwattana
- Center of Excellence in Plant-produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Waranyoo Phoolcharoen
- Center of Excellence in Plant-produced Pharmaceuticals, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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11
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Bajoria S, Antunez LR, Kumru OS, Klempner M, Wang Y, Cavacini LA, Joshi SB, Volkin DB. Formulation Studies to Develop Low-Cost, Orally-Delivered Secretory IgA Monoclonal Antibodies for Passive Immunization Against Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. J Pharm Sci 2023; 112:1832-1844. [PMID: 37040833 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2023.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a common cause for diarrheal infections in children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To date, no ETEC vaccine candidates have been approved. Passive immunization with low-cost, oral formulations of secretory IgA (sIgA) against ETEC is an alternative approach to protect high-risk populations in LMICs. Using a model sIgA monoclonal antibody (anti-LT sIgA2-mAb), the stability profiles of different formulations were assessed during storage and in in vitro digestion models (mimicking in vivo oral delivery). First, by employing various physicochemical techniques and a LT-antigen binding assay, three formulations with varying acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC) were evaluated to stabilize sIgA2-mAb during stress studies (freeze-thaw, agitation, elevated temperature) and during exposure to gastric phase digestion. Next, a low-volume, in vitro intestinal digestion model was developed to screen various additives to stabilize sIgA2-mAb in the intestinal phase. Finally, combinations of high ANC buffers and decoy proteins were assessed to collectively protect sIgA2-mAb during in vitro sequential (stomach to intestine) digestion. Based on the results, we demonstrate the feasibility of low-cost, 'single-vial', liquid formulations of sIgA-mAbs delivered orally after infant feeding for passive immunization, and we suggest future work based on a combination of in vitro and in vivo stability considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakshi Bajoria
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center (VAFC), University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
| | - Lorena R Antunez
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center (VAFC), University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
| | - Ozan S Kumru
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center (VAFC), University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
| | - Mark Klempner
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Boston, MA 02126, USA
| | - Yang Wang
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Boston, MA 02126, USA
| | - Lisa A Cavacini
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Boston, MA 02126, USA
| | - Sangeeta B Joshi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center (VAFC), University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
| | - David B Volkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vaccine Analytics and Formulation Center (VAFC), University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA.
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12
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Yu L, Zhang H, Guan R, Li Y, Guo Y, Qiu L. Genome-Wide Tissue-Specific Genes Identification for Novel Tissue-Specific Promoters Discovery in Soybean. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1150. [PMID: 37372330 DOI: 10.3390/genes14061150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Promoters play a crucial role in controlling the spatial and temporal expression of genes at transcriptional levels in the process of higher plant growth and development. The spatial, efficient, and correct regulation of exogenous genes expression, as desired, is the key point in plant genetic engineering research. Constitutive promoters widely used in plant genetic transformation are limited because, sometimes, they may cause potential negative effects. This issue can be solved, to a certain extent, by using tissue-specific promoters. Compared with constitutive promoters, a few tissue-specific promoters have been isolated and applied. In this study, based on the transcriptome data, a total of 288 tissue-specific genes were collected, expressed in seven tissues, including the leaves, stems, flowers, pods, seeds, roots, and nodules of soybean (Glycine max). KEGG pathway enrichment analysis was carried out, and 52 metabolites were annotated. A total of 12 tissue-specific genes were selected via the transcription expression level and validated through real-time quantitative PCR, of which 10 genes showed tissue-specific expression. The 3-kb 5' upstream regions of ten genes were obtained as putative promoters. Further analysis showed that all the 10 promoters contained many tissue-specific cis-elements. These results demonstrate that high-throughput transcriptional data can be used as effective tools, providing a guide for high-throughput novel tissue-specific promoter discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Yu
- The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI)/Key Laboratory of Grain Crop Genetic Resources Evaluation and Utilization, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI)/Key Laboratory of Grain Crop Genetic Resources Evaluation and Utilization, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Rongxia Guan
- The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI)/Key Laboratory of Grain Crop Genetic Resources Evaluation and Utilization, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yinghui Li
- The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI)/Key Laboratory of Grain Crop Genetic Resources Evaluation and Utilization, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yong Guo
- The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI)/Key Laboratory of Grain Crop Genetic Resources Evaluation and Utilization, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Lijuan Qiu
- The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI)/Key Laboratory of Grain Crop Genetic Resources Evaluation and Utilization, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
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13
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Benvenuto E, Broer I, D'Aoust MA, Hitzeroth I, Hundleby P, Menassa R, Oksman-Caldentey KM, Peyret H, Salgueiro S, Saxena P, Stander J, Warzecha H, Ma J. Plant molecular farming in the wake of the closure of Medicago Inc. Nat Biotechnol 2023:10.1038/s41587-023-01812-w. [PMID: 37217754 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01812-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eugenio Benvenuto
- Department for Sustainability, Biotechnology and Agroindustry Division, ENEA, Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Rome, Italy
| | - Inge Broer
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | | | - Inga Hitzeroth
- BioPharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Rima Menassa
- University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Julian Ma
- St. George's, University of London, London, UK.
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14
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Kittur FS, Hung CY, Li PA, Sane DC, Xie J. Asialo-rhuEPO as a Potential Neuroprotectant for Ischemic Stroke Treatment. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:610. [PMID: 37111367 PMCID: PMC10143832 DOI: 10.3390/ph16040610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroprotective drugs to protect the brain against cerebral ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury are urgently needed. Mammalian cell-produced recombinant human erythropoietin (rhuEPOM) has been demonstrated to have excellent neuroprotective functions in preclinical studies, but its neuroprotective properties could not be consistently translated in clinical trials. The clinical failure of rhuEPOM was thought to be mainly due to its erythropoietic activity-associated side effects. To exploit its tissue-protective property, various EPO derivatives with tissue-protective function only have been developed. Among them, asialo-rhuEPO, lacking terminal sialic acid residues, was shown to be neuroprotective but non-erythropoietic. Asialo-rhuEPO can be prepared by enzymatic removal of sialic acid residues from rhuEPOM (asialo-rhuEPOE) or by expressing human EPO gene in glycoengineered transgenic plants (asialo-rhuEPOP). Both types of asialo-rhuEPO, like rhuEPOM, displayed excellent neuroprotective effects by regulating multiple cellular pathways in cerebral I/R animal models. In this review, we describe the structure and properties of EPO and asialo-rhuEPO, summarize the progress on neuroprotective studies of asialo-rhuEPO and rhuEPOM, discuss potential reasons for the clinical failure of rhuEPOM with acute ischemic stroke patients, and advocate future studies needed to develop asialo-rhuEPO as a multimodal neuroprotectant for ischemic stroke treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farooqahmed S. Kittur
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute & Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707, USA; (C.-Y.H.); (P.A.L.)
| | - Chiu-Yueh Hung
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute & Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707, USA; (C.-Y.H.); (P.A.L.)
| | - P. Andy Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute & Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707, USA; (C.-Y.H.); (P.A.L.)
| | - David C. Sane
- Carilion Clinic and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA 24014, USA;
| | - Jiahua Xie
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute & Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707, USA; (C.-Y.H.); (P.A.L.)
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15
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Chaudhary S, Ali Z, Tehseen M, Haney EF, Pantoja-Angles A, Alshehri S, Wang T, Clancy GJ, Ayach M, Hauser C, Hong PY, Hamdan SM, Hancock REW, Mahfouz M. Efficient in planta production of amidated antimicrobial peptides that are active against drug-resistant ESKAPE pathogens. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1464. [PMID: 36928189 PMCID: PMC10020429 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37003-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising next-generation antibiotics that can be used to combat drug-resistant pathogens. However, the high cost involved in AMP synthesis and their short plasma half-life render their clinical translation a challenge. To address these shortcomings, we report efficient production of bioactive amidated AMPs by transient expression of glycine-extended AMPs in Nicotiana benthamiana line expressing the mammalian enzyme peptidylglycine α-amidating mono-oxygenase (PAM). Cationic AMPs accumulate to substantial levels in PAM transgenic plants compare to nontransgenic N. benthamiana. Moreover, AMPs purified from plants exhibit robust killing activity against six highly virulent and antibiotic resistant ESKAPE pathogens, prevent their biofilm formation, analogous to their synthetic counterparts and synergize with antibiotics. We also perform a base case techno-economic analysis of our platform, demonstrating the potential economic advantages and scalability for industrial use. Taken together, our experimental data and techno-economic analysis demonstrate the potential use of plant chassis for large-scale production of clinical-grade AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahid Chaudhary
- Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, 4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zahir Ali
- Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, 4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Tehseen
- Laboratory of DNA Replication and Recombination, Division of Biological Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Evan F Haney
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Aarón Pantoja-Angles
- Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, 4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Salwa Alshehri
- Laboratory for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, 21577, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tiannyu Wang
- Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Division of Biological Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Gerard J Clancy
- Analytical Chemistry Core Laboratory, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Maya Ayach
- Imaging & Characterization Core Laboratory, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Charlotte Hauser
- Laboratory for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Pei-Ying Hong
- Water Desalination and Reuse Center, Division of Biological Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Samir M Hamdan
- Laboratory of DNA Replication and Recombination, Division of Biological Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Robert E W Hancock
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Magdy Mahfouz
- Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, 4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
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16
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Peng R, Zhang W, Wang Y, Deng Y, Wang B, Gao J, Li Z, Wang L, Fu X, Xu J, Han H, Tian Y, Yao Q. Genetic engineering of complex feed enzymes into barley seed for direct utilization in animal feedstuff. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2023; 21:560-573. [PMID: 36448454 PMCID: PMC9946151 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Currently, feed enzymes are primarily obtained through fermentation of fungi, bacteria, and other microorganisms. Although the manufacturing technology for feed enzymes has evolved rapidly, the activities of these enzymes decline during the granulating process and the cost of application has increased over time. An alternative approach is the use of genetically modified plants containing complex feed enzymes for direct utilization in animal feedstuff. We co-expressed three commonly used feed enzymes (phytase, β-glucanase, and xylanase) in barley seeds using the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method and generated a new barley germplasm. The results showed that these enzymes were stable and had no effect on the development of the seeds. Supplementation of the basal diet of laying hens with only 8% of enzyme-containing seeds decreased the quantities of indigestible carbohydrates, improved the availability of phosphorus, and reduced the impact of animal production on the environment to an extent similar to directly adding exogenous enzymes to the feed. Feeding enzyme-containing seeds to layers significantly increased the strength of the eggshell and the weight of the eggs by 10.0%-11.3% and 5.6%-7.7% respectively. The intestinal microbiota obtained from layers fed with enzyme-containing seeds was altered compared to controls and was dominated by Alispes and Rikenella. Therefore, the transgenic barley seeds produced in this study can be used as an ideal feedstuff for use in animal feed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ri‐He Peng
- Biotechnology Research Institute of Shanghai Academy of Agricultural SciencesShanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and BreedingShanghaiChina
- Key Laboratory for Safety Assessment (Environment) of Agricultural Genetically Modified OrganismsMinistry of Agriculture and Rural AffairsShanghaiChina
| | - Wen‐Hui Zhang
- Biotechnology Research Institute of Shanghai Academy of Agricultural SciencesShanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and BreedingShanghaiChina
- Key Laboratory for Safety Assessment (Environment) of Agricultural Genetically Modified OrganismsMinistry of Agriculture and Rural AffairsShanghaiChina
| | - Yu Wang
- Biotechnology Research Institute of Shanghai Academy of Agricultural SciencesShanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and BreedingShanghaiChina
- Key Laboratory for Safety Assessment (Environment) of Agricultural Genetically Modified OrganismsMinistry of Agriculture and Rural AffairsShanghaiChina
| | - Yong‐Dong Deng
- Biotechnology Research Institute of Shanghai Academy of Agricultural SciencesShanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and BreedingShanghaiChina
- Key Laboratory for Safety Assessment (Environment) of Agricultural Genetically Modified OrganismsMinistry of Agriculture and Rural AffairsShanghaiChina
| | - Bo Wang
- Biotechnology Research Institute of Shanghai Academy of Agricultural SciencesShanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and BreedingShanghaiChina
- Key Laboratory for Safety Assessment (Environment) of Agricultural Genetically Modified OrganismsMinistry of Agriculture and Rural AffairsShanghaiChina
| | - Jian‐Jie Gao
- Biotechnology Research Institute of Shanghai Academy of Agricultural SciencesShanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and BreedingShanghaiChina
- Key Laboratory for Safety Assessment (Environment) of Agricultural Genetically Modified OrganismsMinistry of Agriculture and Rural AffairsShanghaiChina
| | - Zhen‐Jun Li
- Biotechnology Research Institute of Shanghai Academy of Agricultural SciencesShanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and BreedingShanghaiChina
- Key Laboratory for Safety Assessment (Environment) of Agricultural Genetically Modified OrganismsMinistry of Agriculture and Rural AffairsShanghaiChina
| | - Li‐Juan Wang
- Biotechnology Research Institute of Shanghai Academy of Agricultural SciencesShanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and BreedingShanghaiChina
- Key Laboratory for Safety Assessment (Environment) of Agricultural Genetically Modified OrganismsMinistry of Agriculture and Rural AffairsShanghaiChina
| | - Xiao‐Yan Fu
- Biotechnology Research Institute of Shanghai Academy of Agricultural SciencesShanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and BreedingShanghaiChina
- Key Laboratory for Safety Assessment (Environment) of Agricultural Genetically Modified OrganismsMinistry of Agriculture and Rural AffairsShanghaiChina
| | - Jing Xu
- Biotechnology Research Institute of Shanghai Academy of Agricultural SciencesShanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and BreedingShanghaiChina
- Key Laboratory for Safety Assessment (Environment) of Agricultural Genetically Modified OrganismsMinistry of Agriculture and Rural AffairsShanghaiChina
| | - Hong‐Juan Han
- Biotechnology Research Institute of Shanghai Academy of Agricultural SciencesShanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and BreedingShanghaiChina
- Key Laboratory for Safety Assessment (Environment) of Agricultural Genetically Modified OrganismsMinistry of Agriculture and Rural AffairsShanghaiChina
| | - Yong‐Sheng Tian
- Biotechnology Research Institute of Shanghai Academy of Agricultural SciencesShanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and BreedingShanghaiChina
- Key Laboratory for Safety Assessment (Environment) of Agricultural Genetically Modified OrganismsMinistry of Agriculture and Rural AffairsShanghaiChina
| | - Quan‐Hong Yao
- Biotechnology Research Institute of Shanghai Academy of Agricultural SciencesShanghai Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetics and BreedingShanghaiChina
- Key Laboratory for Safety Assessment (Environment) of Agricultural Genetically Modified OrganismsMinistry of Agriculture and Rural AffairsShanghaiChina
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17
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Adams A, Hendrikse M, Rybicki EP, Hitzeroth II. Optimal size of DNA encapsidated by plant produced human papillomavirus pseudovirions. Virology 2023; 580:88-97. [PMID: 36801669 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2023.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are known to be the cause of anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers as well as genital and common warts. HPV pseudovirions (PsVs) are synthetic viral particles that are made up of the L1 major and L2 minor HPV capsid proteins and up to 8 Kb of encapsidated pseudogenome dsDNA. HPV PsVs are used to test novel neutralising antibodies elicited by vaccines, for studying the virus life cycle, and potentially for the delivery of therapeutic DNA vaccines. HPV PsVs are typically produced in mammalian cells, however, it has recently been shown that Papillomavirus PsVs can be produced in plants, a potentially safer, cheaper and more easily scalable means of production. We analysed the encapsidation frequencies of pseudogenomes expressing EGFP, ranging in size from 4.8 Kb to 7.8 Kb, by plant-made HPV-35 L1/L2 particles. The smaller pseudogenomes were found to be packaged more efficiently into PsVs as higher concentrations of encapsidated DNA and higher levels of EGFP expression were obtained with the 4.8 Kb pseudogenome, compared to the larger 5.8-7.8 Kb pseudogenomes. Thus, smaller pseudogenomes, of 4.8 Kb, should be used for efficient plant production of HPV-35 PsVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayesha Adams
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Megan Hendrikse
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Edward P Rybicki
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa; Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Inga I Hitzeroth
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa.
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18
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Lee J, Lee SK, Park JS, Lee KR. Plant-made pharmaceuticals: exploring studies for the production of recombinant protein in plants and assessing challenges ahead. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY REPORTS 2023; 17:53-65. [PMID: 36820221 PMCID: PMC9931573 DOI: 10.1007/s11816-023-00821-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The production of pharmaceutical compounds in plants is attracting increasing attention, as plant-based systems can be less expensive, safer, and more scalable than mammalian, yeast, bacterial, and insect cell expression systems. Here, we review the history and current status of plant-made pharmaceuticals. Producing pharmaceuticals in plants requires pairing the appropriate plant species with suitable transformation technology. Pharmaceuticals have been produced in tobacco, cereals, legumes, fruits, and vegetables via nuclear transformation, chloroplast transformation, transient expression, and transformation of suspension cell cultures. Despite this wide range of species and methods used, most such efforts have involved the nuclear transformation of tobacco. Tobacco readily generates large amounts of biomass, easily accepts foreign genes, and is amenable to stable gene expression via nuclear transformation. Although vaccines, antibodies, and therapeutic proteins have been produced in plants, such pharmaceuticals are not readily utilized by humans due to differences in glycosylation, and few such compounds have been approved due to a lack of clinical data. In addition, achieving an adequate immune response using plant-made pharmaceuticals can be difficult due to low rates of production compared to other expression systems. Various technologies have recently been developed to help overcome these limitations; however, plant systems are expected to increasingly become widely used expression systems for recombinant protein production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juho Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju, 54874 Republic of Korea
| | - Seon-Kyeong Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju, 54874 Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Sug Park
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju, 54874 Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeong-Ryeol Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju, 54874 Republic of Korea
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19
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Amirzadeh N, Moghadam A, Niazi A, Afsharifar A. Recombinant anti-HIV MAP30, a ribosome inactivating protein: against plant virus and bacteriophage. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2091. [PMID: 36747030 PMCID: PMC9902390 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29365-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs) efficiently decrease the microbial infections in plants. Momordica charantia MAP30 is a type I RIP that has not been investigated against plant viruses or bacteriophages. To evaluate of these activities, the recombinant MAP30 (rMAP30) was produced in the hairy roots of Nicotiana tabacum. Inoculation of 3 μg of transgenic total protein or 0.6 μg of rMAP30 against 0.1 μg of TMV reduced the leaf necrotic spots to 78.23% and 82.72%, respectively. The treatment of 0.1 μg of CMV with rMAP30 (0.6 μg) showed the reduction in the leaf necrotic spots to 85.8%. While the infection was increased after rMAP30 dilution. In the time interval assays, the leaves were first inoculated with 1 μg of rMAP30 or 0.1 μg of purified TMV or CMV agent for 6 h, then virus or protein was applied in order. This led the spot reduction to 35.22% and 67% for TMV, and 38.61% and 55.31% for CMV, respectively. In both the pre- and co-treatments of 1:10 or 1:20 diluted bacteriophage with 15 μg of transgenic total protein, the number and diameter of the plaques were reduced. The results showed that the highest inhibitory effect was observed in the pre-treatment assay of bacteriophage with transgenic total protein for 24 h. The decrease in the growth of bacteriophage caused more growth pattern of Escherichia coli. The results confirm that rMAP30 shows antibacterial activity against Streptococcus aureus and E. coli, antifungal activity against Candida albicans, and antiviral activity against CMV and TMV. Moreover, rMAP30 exhibits anti-phage activity for the first time. According to our findings, rMAP30 might be a valuable preservative agent in foods and beverages in the food industry as well as an antiviral and antimicrobial mixture in agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nafiseh Amirzadeh
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ali Moghadam
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Ali Niazi
- Institute of Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Alireza Afsharifar
- Center of Plant Virology Research, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
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20
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Vianna GR, Cunha NB, Rech EL. Soybean seed protein storage vacuoles for expression of recombinant molecules. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 71:102331. [PMID: 36603392 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Soybean is one of the most important protein sources for human consumption and livestock feed. Soy production also allows the biosynthesis of edible oils, biodiesel, and biofertilizers. With the advent of modern agricultural biotechnology, soybean plants have also converted into bioreactors of therapeutic proteins and industrial enzymes. Soybean's characteristics, such as protein storage vacuoles (PSVs) and other unique organelles, allow the plant to be exploited as an accumulator of heterologous proteins under high stability and scalability conditions, and that maintains its basic functions. This review reports the main aspects of heterologous protein accumulation in soybean PSVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- G R Vianna
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology/National Institute of Science and Technology in Synthetic Biology, Brasília, Distrito Federal, 70770-917, Brazil
| | - N B Cunha
- University of Brasília (UnB), Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine (FAV), Campus Universitario Darcy Ribeiro, Brasília, Distrito Federal, 70910-900, Brazil; Catholic University of Brasília (UCB), Postgraduate Program in Genomic Sciences and Biotechnology, Brasília, SGAN 916 Modulo B, Bloco C, 70.790-160, Brazil
| | - E L Rech
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology/National Institute of Science and Technology in Synthetic Biology, Brasília, Distrito Federal, 70770-917, Brazil.
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Moses K, Van Tassel PR. Polyelectrolyte Influence on Beta-Hairpin Peptide Stability: A Simulation Study. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:359-370. [PMID: 36574611 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c06641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Assemblies of proteins and charged macromolecules (polyelectrolytes) find important applications as pharmaceutical formulations, biocatalysts, and cell-contacting substrates. A key question is how the polymer component influences the structure and function of the protein. The present paper addresses the influence of charged polymers on the thermal stability of two model beta-hairpin-forming peptides through an all-atom, replica exchange molecular dynamics simulation. The (negatively charged) peptides consist of the terminal 16 amino acids of the B1 domain of Protein G (GB1) and a variant with three of the GB1 residues substituted with tryptophan (Tryptophan Zipper 4, or TZ4). A (cationic) lysine polymer is seen to thermally stabilize TZ4 and destabilize GB1, while a (also cationic) chitosan polymer slightly stabilizes GB1 but has essentially no effect on TZ4. Free energy profiles reveal folded and unfolded conformations to be separated by kinetic barriers generally acting in the direction of the thermodynamically favored state. Through application of an Ising-like statistical mechanical model, a mechanism is proposed based on competition between (indirect) entropic stabilization of folded versus unfolded states and (direct) competition for hydrogen-bonding and hydrophobic interactions. These findings have important implications to the design of polyelectrolyte-based materials for biomedical and biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Moses
- Dept. of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States
| | - Paul R Van Tassel
- Dept. of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States
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22
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Plant-Produced Mouse-Specific Zona Pellucida 3 Peptide Induces Immune Responses in Mice. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11010153. [PMID: 36679998 PMCID: PMC9866649 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11010153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Contraceptive vaccines are designed to stimulate autoimmune responses to molecules involved in the reproductive process. A mouse-specific peptide from zona pellucida 3 (mZP3) has been proposed as a target epitope. Here, we employed a plant expression system for the production of glycosylated mZP3 and evaluated the immunogenicity of plant-produced mZP3-based antigens in a female BALB/c mouse model. In the mZP3-1 antigen, mZP3 fused with a T-cell epitope of tetanus toxoid, a histidine tag, and a SEKDEL sequence. A fusion antigen (GFP-mZP3-1) and a polypeptide antigen containing three repeats of mZP3 (mZP3-3) were also examined. Glycosylation of mZP3 should be achieved by targeting proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum. Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression of antigens resulted in successful production of mZP3 in Nicotiana benthamiana. Compared with mZP3-1, GFP-mZP3-1 and mZP3-3 increased the production of the mZP3 peptide by more than 20 and 25 times, respectively. The glycosylation of the proteins was indicated by their size and their binding to a carbohydrate-binding protein. Both plant-produced GFP-mZP3-1 and mZP3-3 antigens were immunogenic in mice; however, mZP3-3 generated significantly higher levels of serum antibodies against mZP3. Induced antibodies recognized native zona pellucida of wild mouse, and specific binding of antibodies to the oocytes was observed in immunohistochemical studies. Therefore, these preliminary results indicated that the plants can be an efficient system for the production of immunogenic mZP3 peptide, which may affect the fertility of wild mice.
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Coates RJ, Young MT, Scofield S. Optimising expression and extraction of recombinant proteins in plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1074531. [PMID: 36570881 PMCID: PMC9773421 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1074531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant proteins are of paramount importance for research, industrial and medical use. Numerous expression chassis are available for recombinant protein production, and while bacterial and mammalian cell cultures are the most widely used, recent developments have positioned transgenic plant chassis as viable and often preferential options. Plant chassis are easily maintained at low cost, are hugely scalable, and capable of producing large quantities of protein bearing complex post-translational modification. Several protein targets, including antibodies and vaccines against human disease, have been successfully produced in plants, highlighting the significant potential of plant chassis. The aim of this review is to act as a guide to producing recombinant protein in plants, discussing recent progress in the field and summarising the factors that must be considered when utilising plants as recombinant protein expression systems, with a focus on optimising recombinant protein expression at the genetic level, and the subsequent extraction and purification of target proteins, which can lead to substantial improvements in protein stability, yield and purity.
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Ehsasatvatan M, Kohnehrouz BB, Gholizadeh A, Ofoghi H, Shanehbandi D. The production of the first functional antibody mimetic in higher plants: the chloroplast makes the DARPin G3 for HER2 imaging in oncology. Biol Res 2022; 55:32. [PMID: 36274167 PMCID: PMC9590205 DOI: 10.1186/s40659-022-00400-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Designed mimetic molecules are attractive tools in biopharmaceuticals and synthetic biology. They require mass and functional production for the assessment of upcoming challenges in the near future. The DARPin family is considered a mimetic pharmaceutical peptide group with high affinity binding to specific targets. DARPin G3 is designed to bind to the HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) tyrosine kinase receptor. Overexpression of HER2 is common in some cancers, including breast cancer, and can be used as a prognostic and predictive tool for cancer. The chloroplasts are cost-effective alternatives, equal to, and sometimes better than, bacterial, yeast, or mammalian expression systems. This research examined the possibility of the production of the first antibody mimetic, DARPin G3, in tobacco chloroplasts for HER2 imaging in oncology. Results The chloroplast specific DARPin G3 expression cassette was constructed and transformed into N. tabacum chloroplasts. PCR and Southern blot analysis confirmed integration of transgenes as well as chloroplastic and cellular homoplasmy. The Western blot analysis and ELISA confirmed the production of DARPin G3 at the commercial scale and high dose with the rate of 20.2% in leaf TSP and 33.7% in chloroplast TSP. The functional analysis by ELISA confirmed the binding of IMAC purified chloroplast-made DARPin G3 to the extracellular domain of the HER2 receptor with highly effective picomolar affinities. The carcinoma cellular studies by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence microscopy confirmed the correct functioning by the specific binding of the chloroplast-made DARPin G3 to the HER2 receptor on the surface of HER2-positive cancer cell lines. Conclusion The efficient functional bioactive production of DARPin G3 in chloroplasts led us to introduce plant chloroplasts as the site of efficient production of the first antibody mimetic molecules. This report, as the first case of the cost-effective production of mimetic molecules, enables researchers in pharmaceuticals, synthetic biology, and bio-molecular engineering to develop tool boxes by producing new molecular substitutes for diverse purposes.
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Stutz H. Advances and applications of electromigration methods in the analysis of therapeutic and diagnostic recombinant proteins – A Review. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2022; 222:115089. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2022.115089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Yokoyama A, Oiwa S, Matsui T, Sawada K, Tasaka Y, Matsumura T. Energy-efficient production of vaccine protein against porcine edema disease from transgenic lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Sci Rep 2022; 12:15951. [PMID: 36153428 PMCID: PMC9509315 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19491-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of functional protein production systems using transgenic plants as hosts has been rapidly progressing in recent years. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) has been studied as one such host, and it has been reported that the biomass of lettuce per area and target protein expression level can be increased by optimizing the cultivation conditions. Therefore, we investigated methods to minimize the input light energy per target protein to reduce production costs. Herein, we examined the yield of a nontoxic B subunit of Stx2e (Stx2eB) from transgenic lettuce under various cultivation conditions. Stx2eB acts as a vaccine against swine edema disease. The effects of photon flux densities (PPFDs), photoperiod, and light source on Stx2eB production were examined and the findings suggested that 400 μmol m-2 s-1, 24 h, and white LED lamps, respectively, contributed to energy-efficient Stx2eB production. In addition, Stx2eB was produced 1.4 times more efficiently per unit area time using a high plant density (228.5 plants m-2) than a common density (30.4 plants m-2). The findings of the present study can facilitate the development of energy-efficient and low-cost production processes for vaccine protein production, considering temporal and spatial perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asuka Yokoyama
- Innovation Strategy and Carbon Neutral Transformation Department, Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., 1-2-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Seika Oiwa
- Advanced Technology Research Laboratories, Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., 1280 Kamiizumi, Sodegaura-Shi, Chiba, 299-0293, Japan
| | - Takeshi Matsui
- Advanced Technology Research Laboratories, Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., 1280 Kamiizumi, Sodegaura-Shi, Chiba, 299-0293, Japan
| | - Kazutoshi Sawada
- Advanced Technology Research Laboratories, Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., 1280 Kamiizumi, Sodegaura-Shi, Chiba, 299-0293, Japan
| | - Yasushi Tasaka
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 062-8517, Japan
| | - Takeshi Matsumura
- Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 062-8517, Japan
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27
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Klocko AL. Genetic Containment for Molecular Farming. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11182436. [PMID: 36145835 PMCID: PMC9501302 DOI: 10.3390/plants11182436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Plant molecular farming can provide humans with a wide variety of plant-based products including vaccines, therapeutics, polymers, industrial enzymes, and more. Some of these products, such as Taxol, are produced by endogenous plant genes, while many others require addition of genes by artificial gene transfer. Thus, some molecular farming plants are transgenic (or cisgenic), while others are not. Both the transgenic nature of many molecular farming plants and the fact that the products generated are of high-value and specific in purpose mean it is essential to prevent accidental cross-over of molecular farming plants and products into food or feed. Such mingling could occur either by gene flow during plant growth and harvest or by human errors in material handling. One simple approach to mitigate possible transfer would be to use only non-food non-feed species for molecular farming purposes. However, given the extent of molecular farming products in development, testing, or approval that do utilize food or feed crops, a ban on use of these species would be challenging to implement. Therefore, other approaches will need to be considered for mitigation of cross-flow between molecular farming and non-molecular-farming plants. This review summarized some of the production systems available for molecular farming purposes and options to implement or improve plant containment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Klocko
- Department of Biology, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO 80918, USA
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28
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Göritzer K, Grandits M, Grünwald-Gruber C, Figl R, Mercx S, Navarre C, Ma JKC, Teh AYH. Engineering the N-glycosylation pathway of Nicotiana tabacum for molecular pharming using CRISPR/Cas9. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1003065. [PMID: 36161010 PMCID: PMC9493077 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1003065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Molecular pharming in plants offers exciting possibilities to address global access to modern biologics. However, differences in the N-glycosylation pathway including the presence of β(1,2)-xylose and core α(1,3)-fucose can affect activity, potency and immunogenicity of plant-derived proteins. Successful glycoengineering approaches toward human-like structures with no changes in plant phenotype, growth, or recombinant protein expression levels have been reported for Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana. Such engineering of N-glycosylation would also be desirable for Nicotiana tabacum, which remains the crop of choice for recombinant protein pharmaceuticals required at massive scale and for manufacturing technology transfer to less developed countries. Here, we generated N. tabacum cv. SR-1 β(1,2)-xylosyltransferase (XylT) and α(1,3)-fucosyltransferase (FucT) knockout lines using CRISPR/Cas9 multiplex genome editing, targeting three conserved regions of the four FucT and two XylT genes. These two enzymes are responsible for generating non-human N-glycan structures. We confirmed full functional knockout of transformants by immunoblotting of total soluble protein by antibodies recognizing β(1,2)-xylose and core α(1,3)-fucose, mass spectrometry analysis of recombinantly produced VRC01, a broadly neutralizing anti-HIV-1 hIgG1 antibody, and Sanger sequencing of targeted regions of the putative transformants. These data represent an important step toward establishing Nicotiana tabacum as a biologics platform for Global Health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Göritzer
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George’s University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Melanie Grandits
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George’s University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Clemens Grünwald-Gruber
- Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rudolf Figl
- Core Facility Mass Spectrometry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sébastien Mercx
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Catherine Navarre
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Julian K-C. Ma
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George’s University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Audrey Y-H. Teh
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George’s University of London, London, United Kingdom
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29
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Kebeish R, Hamdy E, Al-Zoubi O, Habeeb T, Osailan R, El-Ayouty Y. A Biotechnological Approach for the Production of Pharmaceutically Active Human Interferon-α from Raphanus sativus L. Plants. Bioengineering (Basel) 2022; 9:bioengineering9080381. [PMID: 36004906 PMCID: PMC9404948 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9080381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Human interferon (IFN) is a type of cytokine that regulates the immune system’s response to viral and bacterial infections. Recombinant IFN-α has been approved for use in the treatment of a variety of viral infections as well as an anticancer medication for various forms of leukemia. The objective of the current study is to produce a functionally active recombinant human IFN-α2a from transgenic Raphanus sativus L. plants. Therefore, a binary plant expression construct containing the IFN-α2a gene coding sequence, under the regulation of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35SS promoter, was established. Agrobacterium-mediated floral dip transformation was used to introduce the IFN-α2a expression cassette into the nuclear genome of red and white rooted Raphanus sativus L. plants. From each genotype, three independent transgenic lines were established. The anticancer and antiviral activities of the partially purified recombinant IFN-α2a proteins were examined. The isolated IFN-α2a has been demonstrated to inhibit the spread of the Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV). In addition, cytotoxicity and cell apoptosis assays against Hep-G2 cells (Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma) show the efficacy of the generated IFN-α2a as an anticancer agent. In comparison to bacterial, yeast, and animal cell culture systems, the overall observed results demonstrated the efficacy of using Raphanus sativus L. plants as a safe, cost-effective, and easy-to-use expression system for generating active human IFN-α2a.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashad Kebeish
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science Yanbu, Taibah University, Yanbu El-Bahr 46423, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: or
| | - Emad Hamdy
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Omar Al-Zoubi
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science Yanbu, Taibah University, Yanbu El-Bahr 46423, Saudi Arabia
| | - Talaat Habeeb
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science Yanbu, Taibah University, Yanbu El-Bahr 46423, Saudi Arabia
| | - Raha Osailan
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science Yanbu, Taibah University, Yanbu El-Bahr 46423, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yassin El-Ayouty
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
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Tetanus Toxin Fragment C: Structure, Drug Discovery Research and Production. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15060756. [PMID: 35745675 PMCID: PMC9227095 DOI: 10.3390/ph15060756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Tetanus toxoid (TTd) plays an important role in the pharmaceutical world, especially in vaccines. The toxoid is obtained after formaldehyde treatment of the tetanus toxin. In parallel, current emphasis in the drug discovery field is put on producing well-defined and safer drugs, explaining the interest in finding new alternative proteins. The tetanus toxin fragment C (TTFC) has been extensively studied both as a neuroprotective agent for central nervous system disorders owing to its neuronal properties and as a carrier protein in vaccines. Indeed, it is derived from a part of the tetanus toxin and, as such, retains its immunogenic properties without being toxic. Moreover, this fragment has been well characterized, and its entire structure is known. Here, we propose a systematic review of TTFC by providing information about its structural features, its properties and its methods of production. We also describe the large uses of TTFC in the field of drug discovery. TTFC can therefore be considered as an attractive alternative to TTd and remarkably offers a wide range of uses, including as a carrier, delivery vector, conjugate, booster, inducer, and neuroprotector.
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Plchová H, Moravec T, Čeřovská N, Pobořilová Z, Dušek J, Kratochvílová K, Navrátil O, Kundu JK. A GoldenBraid-Compatible Virus-Based Vector System for Transient Expression of Heterologous Proteins in Plants. Viruses 2022; 14:1099. [PMID: 35632840 PMCID: PMC9146717 DOI: 10.3390/v14051099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
We have developed a Potato virus X (PVX)-based vector system compatible with the GoldenBraid 2.0 (GB) cloning strategy to transiently express heterologous proteins or peptides in plants for biotechnological purposes. This vector system consists of three domestication vectors carrying three GB parts-the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter with PVX upstream of the second subgenomic promoter of the PVX coat protein (PVX CP SGP), nopaline synthase (NOS) terminator with PVX downstream of the first PVX CP SGP and the gene of interest (GOI). The full-length PVX clone carrying the sequence encoding a green fluorescent protein (GFP) as GOI was incorporated into the binary GB vector in a one-step reaction of three GB parts using the four-nucleotide GB standard syntax. We investigated whether the obtained vector named GFP/pGBX enables systemic PVX infection and expression of GFP in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. We show that this GB-compatible vector system can be used for simple and efficient assembly of PVX-based expression constructs and that it meets the current need for interchange of standard biological parts used in different expression systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Plchová
- Laboratory of Virology, Centre for Plant Virus Research, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic; (H.P.); (N.Č.); (Z.P.); (J.D.); (K.K.); (O.N.)
| | - Tomáš Moravec
- Laboratory of Virology, Centre for Plant Virus Research, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic; (H.P.); (N.Č.); (Z.P.); (J.D.); (K.K.); (O.N.)
| | - Noemi Čeřovská
- Laboratory of Virology, Centre for Plant Virus Research, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic; (H.P.); (N.Č.); (Z.P.); (J.D.); (K.K.); (O.N.)
| | - Zuzana Pobořilová
- Laboratory of Virology, Centre for Plant Virus Research, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic; (H.P.); (N.Č.); (Z.P.); (J.D.); (K.K.); (O.N.)
| | - Jakub Dušek
- Laboratory of Virology, Centre for Plant Virus Research, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic; (H.P.); (N.Č.); (Z.P.); (J.D.); (K.K.); (O.N.)
- Department of Plant Protection, Czech University of Life Sciences, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Kateřina Kratochvílová
- Laboratory of Virology, Centre for Plant Virus Research, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic; (H.P.); (N.Č.); (Z.P.); (J.D.); (K.K.); (O.N.)
- Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, 12843 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Oldřich Navrátil
- Laboratory of Virology, Centre for Plant Virus Research, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic; (H.P.); (N.Č.); (Z.P.); (J.D.); (K.K.); (O.N.)
| | - Jiban Kumar Kundu
- Laboratory of Virology, Centre for Plant Virus Research, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic; (H.P.); (N.Č.); (Z.P.); (J.D.); (K.K.); (O.N.)
- Plant Virus and Vector Interactions, Centre for Plant Virus Research, Crop Research Institute, 16106 Prague, Czech Republic
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Sharma P, Singh SP, Iqbal HM, Parra-Saldivar R, Varjani S, Tong YW. Genetic modifications associated with sustainability aspects for sustainable developments. Bioengineered 2022; 13:9508-9520. [PMID: 35389819 PMCID: PMC9161841 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2022.2061146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Sustainable development serves as the foundation for a range of international and national policymaking. Traditional breeding methods have been used to modify plant genomes and production. Genetic engineering is the practice of assisting agricultural systems in adapting to rapidly changing global growth by hastening the breeding of new varieties. On the other hand, the development of genetic engineering has enabled more precise control over the genomic alterations made in recent decades. Genetic changes from one species can now be introduced into a completely unrelated species, increasing agricultural output or making certain elements easier to manufacture. Harvest plants and soil microorganisms are just a few of the more well-known genetically modified creatures. Researchers assess current studies and illustrate the possibility of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) from the perspectives of various stakeholders. GMOs increase yields, reduce costs, and reduce agriculture's terrestrial and ecological footprint. Modern technology benefits innovators, farmers, and consumers alike. Agricultural biotechnology has numerous applications, each with its own set of potential consequences. This will be able to reach its full potential if more people have access to technology and excessive regulation is avoided. This paper covers the regulations for genetically modified crops (GMCs) as well as the economic implications. It also includes sections on biodiversity and environmental impact, as well as GMCs applications. This recounts biotechnological interventions for long-term sustainability in the field of GMCs, as well as the challenges and opportunities in this field of research.Abbreviations: GMCs-Genetically modified crops; GMOs- Genetically modified organisms; GE- Genetic engineering; Bt- Bacillus thuringiensisNIH- National Institutes of Health; FDA- Food and Drug Administration; HGT- Horizontal gene transfer; GM- Genetically modified; rDNA- Ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid; USDA- United States Department of Agriculture; NIH- National Institutes of Health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Sharma
- Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Energy and Environmental Sustainability for Megacities (E2S2) Phase II, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore
| | - Surendra Pratap Singh
- Plant Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Botany, D.A.V. College, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, India
| | - Hafiz M.N. Iqbal
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Monterrey, Mexico
| | - Roberto Parra-Saldivar
- FEMSA, Tecnológico de MonterreyEscuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias- Centro de Biotecnología-, Monterrey, Mexico
| | - Sunita Varjani
- Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gandhinagar, India
- CONTACT Sunita Varjani ; Yen Wah Tong Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 1 Create Way, 138602, Singapore
| | - Yen Wah Tong
- Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Energy and Environmental Sustainability for Megacities (E2S2) Phase II, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Armario-Najera V, Blanco-Perera A, Shenoy SR, Sun Y, Marfil S, Muñoz-Basagoiti J, Perez-Zsolt D, Blanco J, Izquierdo-Useros N, Capell T, O'Keefe BR, Christou P. Physicochemical characterization of the recombinant lectin scytovirin and microbicidal activity of the SD1 domain produced in rice against HIV-1. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2022; 41:1013-1023. [PMID: 35178612 PMCID: PMC9034974 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-022-02834-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE Rice-produced SD1 retains its physicochemical properties and provides efficient pre-exposure HIV-1 prophylaxis against infection in vitro. Scytovirin (SVN) is an HIV-neutralizing lectin that features two structural domains (SD1 and SD2) that bind to HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins. We expressed SD1 in rice seeds as a potential large-scale production platform and confirmed that rice-derived SD1 binds the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 in vitro. We analyzed the thermodynamic properties of SD1 compared to full-size SVN (produced in E. coli) by isothermal titration and differential scanning calorimetry to characterize the specific interactions between SVN/SD1 and gp120 as well as to high-mannose oligosaccharides. SVN bound with moderate affinity (Kd = 1.5 µM) to recombinant gp120, with 2.5-fold weaker affinity to nonamannoside (Kd of 3.9 µM), and with tenfold weaker affinity to tetramannoside (13.8 µM). The melting temperature (Tm) of full-size SVN was 59.1 °C and the enthalpy of unfolding (ΔHunf) was 16.4 kcal/mol, but the Tm fell when SVN bound to nonamannoside (56.5 °C) and twice as much energy was required for unfolding (ΔHunf = 33.5 kcal/mol). Interestingly, binding to tetramannoside destabilized the structure of SD1 (ΔTm ~ 11.5 °C) and doubled the enthalpy of unfolding, suggesting a dimerization event. The similar melting phenomenon shared by SVN and SD1 in the presence of oligomannose confirmed their conserved oligosaccharide-binding mechanisms. SD1 expressed in transgenic rice was able to neutralize HIV-1 in vitro. SD1 expressed in rice, therefore, is suitable as a microbicide component.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Armario-Najera
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, School of Agrifood and Forestry Science and Engineering, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio CERCA Center, 25198, Lleida, Spain
| | - Amaya Blanco-Perera
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, School of Agrifood and Forestry Science and Engineering, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio CERCA Center, 25198, Lleida, Spain
| | - Shilpa R Shenoy
- Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
- Molecular Targets Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Yi Sun
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, School of Agrifood and Forestry Science and Engineering, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio CERCA Center, 25198, Lleida, Spain
| | - Silvia Marfil
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, 08916, Badalona, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Spain
| | | | | | - Julià Blanco
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, 08916, Badalona, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Spain
- Chair of AIDS and Related Diseases, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia, 08500, Vic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nuria Izquierdo-Useros
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, 08916, Badalona, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Can Ruti Campus, 08916, Badalona, Spain
| | - Teresa Capell
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, School of Agrifood and Forestry Science and Engineering, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio CERCA Center, 25198, Lleida, Spain
| | - Barry R O'Keefe
- Molecular Targets Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Frederick, MD, USA.
- Natural Products Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Frederick, MD, USA.
| | - Paul Christou
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, School of Agrifood and Forestry Science and Engineering, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio CERCA Center, 25198, Lleida, Spain.
- Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), 08010, Barcelona, Spain.
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Thagun C, Horii Y, Mori M, Fujita S, Ohtani M, Tsuchiya K, Kodama Y, Odahara M, Numata K. Non-transgenic Gene Modulation via Spray Delivery of Nucleic Acid/Peptide Complexes into Plant Nuclei and Chloroplasts. ACS NANO 2022; 16:3506-3521. [PMID: 35195009 PMCID: PMC8945396 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c07723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Genetic engineering of economically important traits in plants is an effective way to improve global welfare. However, introducing foreign DNA molecules into plant genomes to create genetically engineered plants not only requires a lengthy testing period and high developmental costs but also is not well-accepted by the public due to safety concerns about its effects on human and animal health and the environment. Here, we present a high-throughput nucleic acids delivery platform for plants using peptide nanocarriers applied to the leaf surface by spraying. The translocation of sub-micrometer-scale nucleic acid/peptide complexes upon spraying varied depending on the physicochemical characteristics of the peptides and was controlled by a stomata-dependent-uptake mechanism in plant cells. We observed efficient delivery of DNA molecules into plants using cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)-based foliar spraying. Moreover, using foliar spraying, we successfully performed gene silencing by introducing small interfering RNA molecules in plant nuclei via siRNA-CPP complexes and, more importantly, in chloroplasts via our CPP/chloroplast-targeting peptide-mediated delivery system. This technology enables effective nontransgenic engineering of economically important plant traits in agricultural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chonprakun Thagun
- Department
of Material Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto-Daigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Yoko Horii
- Biomacromolecules
Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable
Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Maai Mori
- Biomacromolecules
Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable
Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Seiya Fujita
- Department
of Material Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto-Daigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
| | - Misato Ohtani
- Department
of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Kousuke Tsuchiya
- Department
of Material Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto-Daigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
- Biomacromolecules
Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable
Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Yutaka Kodama
- Biomacromolecules
Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable
Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Center
for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya
University, Tochigi 321-8505, Japan
| | - Masaki Odahara
- Biomacromolecules
Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable
Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- (Ma.O.)
| | - Keiji Numata
- Department
of Material Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto-Daigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan
- Biomacromolecules
Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable
Resource Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- (K.N.)
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35
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Inam S, Abbas Z, Noor S, Rehman N, Adeel Zafar S, Ramzan Khan M, Ali Kaimkhani Z, Al-Misned F, Shah M, Mahboob S, Muhammad Ali G. Isolation, cloning and transgenic expression of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in Solanum lycopersicum L. Saudi J Biol Sci 2022; 29:1559-1564. [PMID: 35280581 PMCID: PMC8913426 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Safeena Inam
- National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (NIGAB), Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Pakistan
| | - Zaheer Abbas
- National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (NIGAB), Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Pakistan
| | - Sabahat Noor
- National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (NIGAB), Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Pakistan
| | - Nazia Rehman
- National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (NIGAB), Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Pakistan
| | - Syed Adeel Zafar
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Reiverside, USA
| | - Muhammad Ramzan Khan
- National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (NIGAB), Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Pakistan
| | | | - F. Al-Misned
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Masaud Shah
- School of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Korea
| | - Shahid Mahboob
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
- Corresponding authors.
| | - Ghulam Muhammad Ali
- National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (NIGAB), Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Pakistan
- Corresponding authors.
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36
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Barzigar R, Haraprasad N, Kumar BYS, Mehran MJ, Fakrudin B. Transient recombinant expression of highly immunogenic CagA, VacA and NapA in Nicotiana benthamiana. BIOTECHNOLOGY REPORTS (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2022; 33:e00699. [PMID: 35028298 PMCID: PMC8739878 DOI: 10.1016/j.btre.2021.e00699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Interest in the plant-based transient production of recombinant immunogenic antigens has tremendously progressed because plants are cost-effective, easily selectable, free of mammalian contamination, and support complex post-translational modifications. Nicotiana benthamiana is a convenient system for transient expression of recombinant antigens. The present study documented a platform for rapid production of Helicobacter pylori CagA, VacA and NapA antigens three days (first harvest, FH) and six days (second harvest, SH) after agro-infiltration using a syringe. In this study, CagA, VacA and NapA antigen genes from Helicobacter pylori were cloned into the binary vector pBI121 and transformed into Nicotiana benthamiana by the Agrobacterium-mediated process. Leaves of four to five weeks old Nicotiana benthamiana plants were agroinfiltrated with EHA105 subtype of Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain containing cloned CagA (pBI121-CagA), VacA (pBI121-VacA) and NapA (pBI121-NapA) constructs. The transient expression and accumulation of the recombinant genes containing CagA, VacA and NapA expression cassettes were confirmed using qRT-PCR by comparing the relative expression at FH and SH post-infiltration with the non-infiltrated (control) samples and using ELISA at 1/5 and 1/10 dilution ratios. The qRT-PCR findings showed that Agrobacterium-mediated syringe infiltration of leaves of four to five weeks old Nicotiana benthamiana plants produced significantly higher transcript levels of CagA (about 8-fold and 7-fold), VacA (38-fold and 24-fold) and NapA (7-fold and 5-fold) genes at FH and SH compared to the control sample. Besides, the maximum amount of CagA, VacA and NapA antigens were detected at the FH stage compared to the SH stage, when the antibody concentrations of the agro-infiltrated leaf extracts containing these recombinant antigens were diluted in a 1/5 ratio. This study has developed evidence to support that recombinant CagA, VacA and NapA can be transiently produced in Nicotiana benthamiana plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rambod Barzigar
- JSS Research Foundation, SJCE Technical Campus, Mysore 570006 India
| | | | - Basaralu Yadurappa Sathish Kumar
- JSS Research Foundation, SJCE Technical Campus, Mysore 570006 India
- Postgraduate Department of Biotechnology, JSS College, Ooty Road, Mysore 570025 India
| | | | - Bashasab Fakrudin
- Department of Biotechnology and Crop Improvement, College of Horticulture, University of Horticulture Sciences Campus, GKVK Post, Bengaluru 560065 India
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37
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Nguyen TM, Lu CA, Huang LF. Applications of CRISPR/Cas9 in a rice protein expression system via an intron-targeted insertion approach. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 315:111132. [PMID: 35067302 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2021.111132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The sugar starvation-inducible rice αAmy3 promoter and signal peptide are widely used to produce valuable recombinant proteins in rice suspension culture cells. Conventionally, the recombinant gene expression cassette is inserted into the genome at random locations by Agrobacterium- or particle bombardment-mediated transformation. CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing enables gene insertion at a precise target site in the genome. In this study the CRISPR/Cas9 approach was modified for intron-targeted insertion by adding an artificial 3' splicing site upstream of the recombinant gene. Knock-in transgenic rice cell lines containing the recombinant GFP gene inserted in intron 1 of αAmy3 were generated. The endogenous αAmy3 promoter regulated recombinant gene expression and the αAmy3 signal peptide directed secretion of the recombinant GFP protein into the culture medium. In addition, the recombinant GFP protein was localized in amyloplasts, identical to the subcellular localization of endogenous αAmy3 reported previously. This modified CRISPR/Cas9 knock-in approach is simple and highly efficient, and the recombinant gene insertion frequency attained 12.5%. The approach can be applied in the production of pharmaceutical proteins in rice suspension cell cultures. The high efficiency of the GFP reporter gene knock-in method and the maintenance of target gene behavior also make the strategy applicable to endogenous gene functional studies in rice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Mai Nguyen
- Graduate School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan City 320, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Life Sciences, National Central University, Taoyuan City 320, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chung-An Lu
- Department of Life Sciences, National Central University, Taoyuan City 320, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Li-Fen Huang
- Graduate School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan City 320, Taiwan, ROC.
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38
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Genetic Manipulation and Bioreactor Culture of Plants as a Tool for Industry and Its Applications. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27030795. [PMID: 35164060 PMCID: PMC8840042 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27030795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a considerable increase in interest in the use of transgenic plants as sources of valuable secondary metabolites or recombinant proteins. This has been facilitated by the advent of genetic engineering technology with the possibility for direct modification of the expression of genes related to the biosynthesis of biologically active compounds. A wide range of research projects have yielded a number of efficient plant systems that produce specific secondary metabolites or recombinant proteins. Furthermore, the use of bioreactors allows production to be increased to industrial scales, which can quickly and cheaply deliver large amounts of material in a short time. The resulting plant production systems can function as small factories, and many of them that are targeted at a specific operation have been patented. This review paper summarizes the key research in the last ten years regarding the use of transgenic plants as small, green biofactories for the bioreactor-based production of secondary metabolites and recombinant proteins; it simultaneously examines the production of metabolites and recombinant proteins on an industrial scale and presents the current state of available patents in the field.
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39
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Plant-Derived Recombinant Vaccines against Zoonotic Viruses. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12020156. [PMID: 35207444 PMCID: PMC8878793 DOI: 10.3390/life12020156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases cause serious illness with billions of cases, and millions of deaths. The most effective way to restrict the spread of zoonotic viruses among humans and animals and prevent disease is vaccination. Recombinant proteins produced in plants offer an alternative approach for the development of safe, effective, inexpensive candidate vaccines. Current strategies are focused on the production of highly immunogenic structural proteins, which mimic the organizations of the native virion but lack the viral genetic material. These include chimeric viral peptides, subunit virus proteins, and virus-like particles (VLPs). The latter, with their ability to self-assemble and thus resemble the form of virus particles, are gaining traction among plant-based candidate vaccines against many infectious diseases. In this review, we summarized the main zoonotic diseases and followed the progress in using plant expression systems for the production of recombinant proteins and VLPs used in the development of plant-based vaccines against zoonotic viruses.
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40
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Abstract
The regulation of molecular farming is a complex topic because plants and plant-based systems are relative newcomers among the many production platforms available for recombinant proteins. The regulations specific for different types of product (human/veterinary pharmaceuticals and medical devices, cosmetics, diagnostics, and research reagents) must therefore be overlaid with the regulations governing hitherto unfamiliar production platforms, and this must be achieved in different jurisdictions that handle genetically modified organisms (and genetically modified plants in particular) in very different ways. This chapter uses examples of different product types and production methods in three different jurisdictions (the USA, the EU, and Canada) to demonstrate some of the challenges facing the regulatory authorities.
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41
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Szeto TH, Drake PMW, Teh AYH, Falci Finardi N, Clegg AG, Paul MJ, Reljic R, Ma JKC. Production of Recombinant Proteins in Transgenic Tobacco Plants. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2480:17-48. [PMID: 35616855 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2241-4_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Nicotiana tabacum (the tobacco plant ) has numerous advantages for molecular farming, including rapid growth, large biomass and the possibility of both cross- and self-fertilization. In addition, genetic transformation and tissue culture protocols for regeneration of transgenic plants are well-established. Here, we describe the production of transgenic tobacco using Agrobacterium tumefaciens and the analysis of recombinant proteins, either in crude plant extracts or after purification, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with western blotting and surface plasmon resonance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim H Szeto
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, St. George's University of London, Institute for Infection and Immunity, London, UK
| | - Pascal M W Drake
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, St. George's University of London, Institute for Infection and Immunity, London, UK.
| | - Audrey Y-H Teh
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, St. George's University of London, Institute for Infection and Immunity, London, UK
| | - Nicole Falci Finardi
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, St. George's University of London, Institute for Infection and Immunity, London, UK
| | - Ashleigh G Clegg
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, St. George's University of London, Institute for Infection and Immunity, London, UK
| | - Mathew J Paul
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, St. George's University of London, Institute for Infection and Immunity, London, UK
| | - Rajko Reljic
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, St. George's University of London, Institute for Infection and Immunity, London, UK
| | - Julian K-C Ma
- Hotung Molecular Immunology Unit, St. George's University of London, Institute for Infection and Immunity, London, UK
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42
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Recent advances in molecular farming using monocot plants. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 58:107913. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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43
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Hemmati F, Hemmati-Dinarvand M, Karimzade M, Rutkowska D, Eskandari MH, Khanizadeh S, Afsharifar A. Plant-derived VLP: a worthy platform to produce vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. Biotechnol Lett 2021; 44:45-57. [PMID: 34837582 PMCID: PMC8626723 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-021-03211-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
After its emergence in late 2019 SARS-CoV-2 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020 and has claimed more than 2.8 million lives. There has been a massive global effort to develop vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and the rapid and low cost production of large quantities of vaccine is urgently needed to ensure adequate supply to both developed and developing countries. Virus-like particles (VLPs) are composed of viral antigens that self-assemble into structures that mimic the structure of native viruses but lack the viral genome. Thus they are not only a safer alternative to attenuated or inactivated vaccines but are also able to induce potent cellular and humoral immune responses and can be manufactured recombinantly in expression systems that do not require viral replication. VLPs have successfully been produced in bacteria, yeast, insect and mammalian cell cultures, each production platform with its own advantages and limitations. Plants offer a number of advantages in one production platform, including proper eukaryotic protein modification and assembly, increased safety, low cost, high scalability as well as rapid production speed, a critical factor needed to control outbreaks of potential pandemics. Plant-based VLP-based viral vaccines currently in clinical trials include, amongst others, Hepatitis B virus, Influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Here we discuss the importance of plants as a next generation expression system for the fast, scalable and low cost production of VLP-based vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farshad Hemmati
- Plant Virology Research Center, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Mohsen Hemmati-Dinarvand
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Marziye Karimzade
- Plant Pathology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Daria Rutkowska
- CSIR Next Generation Health, PO Box 395, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
| | - Mohammad Hadi Eskandari
- Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Sayyad Khanizadeh
- Hepatitis Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Alireza Afsharifar
- Plant Virology Research Center, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
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44
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Debnath N, Thakur M, Khushboo, Negi NP, Gautam V, Kumar Yadav A, Kumar D. Insight of oral vaccines as an alternative approach to health and disease management: An innovative intuition and challenges. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 119:327-346. [PMID: 34755343 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Vaccination is the most suitable and persuasive healthcare program for the prohibition of various deadly diseases. However, the higher production cost and purification strategies are out of reach for the developing nations. In this scenario, development of edible vaccine turns out to be the most promising alternative for remodeling the pharmaceutical industry with reduced production and purification costs. Generally, oral route of vaccination is mostly preferred due to its safety, compliance, low manufacturing cost and most importantly the ability to induce immunity in both systemic and mucosal sites. Genetically modified microorganisms and plants could efficiently be used as vehicles for edible vaccines. Edible vaccines are supposed to reduce the risk associated with traditional vaccines. Currently, oral vaccines are available in the market for several viral and bacterial diseases like cholera, hepatitis B, malaria, rabies etc. Herein, the review focuses on the breakthrough events in the area of edible vaccines associated with dietary microbes and plants for better control over diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nabendu Debnath
- Centre for Molecular Biology, Central University of Jammu, Samba, Jammu & Kashmir (UT), India
| | - Mony Thakur
- Department of Microbiology, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, Haryana, India
| | - Khushboo
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, Haryana, India
| | - Neelam P Negi
- Department of Biotechnology, University Institute of Biotechnology, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Vibhav Gautam
- Centre of Experimental Medicine & Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ashok Kumar Yadav
- Centre for Molecular Biology, Central University of Jammu, Samba, Jammu & Kashmir (UT), India
| | - Deepak Kumar
- Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
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45
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Lobato Gómez M, Huang X, Alvarez D, He W, Baysal C, Zhu C, Armario‐Najera V, Blanco Perera A, Cerda Bennasser P, Saba‐Mayoral A, Sobrino‐Mengual G, Vargheese A, Abranches R, Abreu IA, Balamurugan S, Bock R, Buyel J, da Cunha NB, Daniell H, Faller R, Folgado A, Gowtham I, Häkkinen ST, Kumar S, Ramalingam SK, Lacorte C, Lomonossoff GP, Luís IM, Ma JK, McDonald KA, Murad A, Nandi S, O’Keefe B, Oksman‐Caldentey K, Parthiban S, Paul MJ, Ponndorf D, Rech E, Rodrigues JCM, Ruf S, Schillberg S, Schwestka J, Shah PS, Singh R, Stoger E, Twyman RM, Varghese IP, Vianna GR, Webster G, Wilbers RHP, Capell T, Christou P. Contributions of the international plant science community to the fight against human infectious diseases - part 1: epidemic and pandemic diseases. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2021; 19:1901-1920. [PMID: 34182608 PMCID: PMC8486245 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Infectious diseases, also known as transmissible or communicable diseases, are caused by pathogens or parasites that spread in communities by direct contact with infected individuals or contaminated materials, through droplets and aerosols, or via vectors such as insects. Such diseases cause ˜17% of all human deaths and their management and control places an immense burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Traditional approaches for the prevention and control of infectious diseases include vaccination programmes, hygiene measures and drugs that suppress the pathogen, treat the disease symptoms or attenuate aggressive reactions of the host immune system. The provision of vaccines and biologic drugs such as antibodies is hampered by the high cost and limited scalability of traditional manufacturing platforms based on microbial and animal cells, particularly in developing countries where infectious diseases are prevalent and poorly controlled. Molecular farming, which uses plants for protein expression, is a promising strategy to address the drawbacks of current manufacturing platforms. In this review article, we consider the potential of molecular farming to address healthcare demands for the most prevalent and important epidemic and pandemic diseases, focussing on recent outbreaks of high-mortality coronavirus infections and diseases that disproportionately affect the developing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Lobato Gómez
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Derry Alvarez
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Wenshu He
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Can Baysal
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Changfu Zhu
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Victoria Armario‐Najera
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Amaya Blanco Perera
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Pedro Cerda Bennasser
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Andera Saba‐Mayoral
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | | | - Ashwin Vargheese
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Rita Abranches
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
| | - Isabel Alexandra Abreu
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
| | - Shanmugaraj Balamurugan
- Plant Genetic Engineering LaboratoryDepartment of BiotechnologyBharathiar UniversityCoimbatoreIndia
| | - Ralph Bock
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant PhysiologyPotsdam‐GolmGermany
| | - Johannes.F. Buyel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IMEAachenGermany
- Institute for Molecular BiotechnologyRWTH Aachen UniversityAachenGermany
| | - Nicolau B. da Cunha
- Centro de Análise Proteômicas e Bioquímicas de BrasíliaUniversidade Católica de BrasíliaBrasíliaBrazil
| | - Henry Daniell
- School of Dental MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Roland Faller
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - André Folgado
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
| | - Iyappan Gowtham
- Plant Genetic Engineering LaboratoryDepartment of BiotechnologyBharathiar UniversityCoimbatoreIndia
| | - Suvi T. Häkkinen
- Industrial Biotechnology and Food SolutionsVTT Technical Research Centre of Finland LtdEspooFinland
| | - Shashi Kumar
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and BiotechnologyNew DelhiIndia
| | - Sathish Kumar Ramalingam
- Plant Genetic Engineering LaboratoryDepartment of BiotechnologyBharathiar UniversityCoimbatoreIndia
| | - Cristiano Lacorte
- Brazilian Agriculture Research CorporationEmbrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and National Institute of Science and Technology Synthetic in BiologyParque Estação BiológicaBrasiliaBrazil
| | | | - Ines M. Luís
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
| | - Julian K.‐C. Ma
- Institute for Infection and ImmunitySt. George’s University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Karen. A. McDonald
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
- Global HealthShare InitiativeUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Andre Murad
- Brazilian Agriculture Research CorporationEmbrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and National Institute of Science and Technology Synthetic in BiologyParque Estação BiológicaBrasiliaBrazil
| | - Somen Nandi
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
- Global HealthShare InitiativeUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Barry O’Keefe
- Molecular Targets ProgramCenter for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, and Natural Products BranchDevelopmental Therapeutics ProgramDivision of Cancer Treatment and DiagnosisNational Cancer Institute, NIHFrederickMDUSA
| | | | - Subramanian Parthiban
- Plant Genetic Engineering LaboratoryDepartment of BiotechnologyBharathiar UniversityCoimbatoreIndia
| | - Mathew J. Paul
- Institute for Infection and ImmunitySt. George’s University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Daniel Ponndorf
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
- Department of Biological ChemistryJohn Innes CentreNorwichUK
| | - Elibio Rech
- Brazilian Agriculture Research CorporationEmbrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and National Institute of Science and Technology Synthetic in BiologyParque Estação BiológicaBrasiliaBrazil
| | - Julio C. M. Rodrigues
- Brazilian Agriculture Research CorporationEmbrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and National Institute of Science and Technology Synthetic in BiologyParque Estação BiológicaBrasiliaBrazil
| | - Stephanie Ruf
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant PhysiologyPotsdam‐GolmGermany
| | - Stefan Schillberg
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IMEAachenGermany
- Institute for PhytopathologyJustus‐Liebig‐University GiessenGiessenGermany
| | - Jennifer Schwestka
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Priya S. Shah
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Rahul Singh
- School of Dental MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Eva Stoger
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | | | - Inchakalody P. Varghese
- Plant Genetic Engineering LaboratoryDepartment of BiotechnologyBharathiar UniversityCoimbatoreIndia
| | - Giovanni R. Vianna
- Brazilian Agriculture Research CorporationEmbrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and National Institute of Science and Technology Synthetic in BiologyParque Estação BiológicaBrasiliaBrazil
| | - Gina Webster
- Institute for Infection and ImmunitySt. George’s University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Ruud H. P. Wilbers
- Laboratory of NematologyPlant Sciences GroupWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Teresa Capell
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Paul Christou
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
- ICREACatalan Institute for Research and Advanced StudiesBarcelonaSpain
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Sinaga DS, Ho SL, Lu CA, Yu SM, Huang LF. Knockdown expression of a MYB-related transcription factor gene, OsMYBS2, enhances production of recombinant proteins in rice suspension cells. PLANT METHODS 2021; 17:99. [PMID: 34560901 PMCID: PMC8464127 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-021-00799-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transgenic plant suspension cells show economic potential for the production of valuable bioproducts. The sugar starvation-inducible rice αAmy3 promoter, together with its signal peptide, is widely applied to produce recombinant proteins in rice suspension cells. The OsMYBS2 transcription factor was shown recently to reduce activation of the αAmy3 promoter by competing for the binding site of the TA box of the αAmy3 promoter with the potent OsMYBS1 activator. In this study, rice suspension cells were genetically engineered to silence OsMYBS2 to enhance the production of recombinant proteins. RESULTS The mouse granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (mGM-CSF) gene was controlled by the αAmy3 promoter and expressed in OsMYBS2-silenced transgenic rice suspension cells. Transcript levels of the endogenous αAmy3 and the transgene mGM-CSF were increased in the OsMYBS2-silenced suspension cells. The highest yield of recombinant mGM-CSF protein attained in the OsMYBS2-silenced transgenic suspension cells was 69.8 µg/mL, which is 2.5-fold that of non-silenced control cells. The yield of recombinant mGM-CSF was further increased to 118.8 µg/mL in cultured cells derived from homozygous F5 seeds, which was 5.1 times higher than that of the control suspension cell line. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that knockdown of the transcription factor gene OsMYBS2 increased the activity of the αAmy3 promoter and improved the yield of recombinant proteins secreted in rice cell suspension cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desyanti Saulina Sinaga
- Graduate School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Life Sciences, National Central University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Shin-Lon Ho
- Department of Agronomy, National Chiayi University, Chiayi City, 600, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chung-An Lu
- Department of Life Sciences, National Central University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Su-May Yu
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei City, 115, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Li-Fen Huang
- Graduate School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan City, 320, Taiwan, ROC.
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A Novel Plant-Produced Asialo-rhuEPO Protects Brain from Ischemic Damage Without Erythropoietic Action. Transl Stroke Res 2021; 13:338-354. [PMID: 34553324 PMCID: PMC10068895 DOI: 10.1007/s12975-021-00943-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian cell-produced recombinant human erythropoietin (rhuEPOM) has been shown to be a multimodal neuroprotectant targeting an array of key pathological mechanisms in experimental stroke models. However, the rhuEPOM clinical trials were terminated due to increased risk of thrombosis, largely ascribed to its erythropoietic function. We recently took advantage of a plant-based expression system lacking sialylation capacity to produce asialo-rhuEPOP, a rhuEPO derivative without sialic acid residues. In the present study, we proved that asialo-rhuEPOP is non-erythropoietic by repeated intravenous injection (44 μg/kg bw) in mice showing no increase in hemoglobin levels and red blood cell counts, and confirmed that it is non-immunogenic by measuring humoral response after immunizing the mice. We demonstrate that it is neuroprotective in a cerebral ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) mouse model, exhibiting ~ 50% reduction in cerebral infarct volume and edema, and significant improvement in neurological deficits and histopathological outcome. Our studies further revealed that asialo-rhuEPOP, like rhuEPOM, displays pleiotropic neuroprotective effects, including restoring I/R-interrupted mitochondrial fission and fusion proteins, preventing I/R injury-induced increase in mitophagy and autophagy markers, and inhibiting apoptosis to benefit nerve cell survival. Most importantly, asialo-rhuEPOP lacking erythropoietic activity and immunogenicity holds great translational potential as a multimodal neuroprotectant for stroke treatment.
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Nazeri A, Niazi A, Afsharifar A, Taghavi SM, Moghadam A, Aram F. Heterologous production of hyaluronic acid in Nicotiana tabacum hairy roots expressing a human hyaluronan synthase 2. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17966. [PMID: 34504153 PMCID: PMC8429445 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97139-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Hyaluronic acid (HA), a unique polysaccharide with excellent Physico-chemical properties, is broadly used in pharmaceutical, biomedical, and cosmetic fields. It is widely present in all vertebrates, certain bacterial strains, and even viruses while it is not found in plants, fungi, and insects. HA is naturally synthesized by a class of integral membrane proteins called Hyaluronic acid synthase (HAS). Thus far, industrial production of HA is carried out based on either extraction from animal sources or large-scale microbial fermentation. The major drawbacks to using these systems are contamination with pathogens and microbial toxins. Recently, the production of HA through recombinant systems has received considerable attention. Plants are eco-friendly ideal expression systems for biopharmaceuticals production. In this study, the optimized human hyaluronic acid synthase2 (hHAS2) sequence was transformed into Nicotiana tabacum using Agrobacterium rhizogenes. The highest rhHAS2 concentration of 65.72 ng/kg (wet weight) in transgenic tobacco hairy roots was measured by the human HAS2 ELISA kit. The HA production in the transgenic hairy roots was verified by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and quantified by the HA ELISA kit. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of HA with the highest concentration of 0.56 g/kg (wet weight) showed a maximum activity of 46%. Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) analyses revealed the high molecular weight HA (HMW-HA) with about > 0.8 MDa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arezoo Nazeri
- Institute of Biotechnology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Ali Niazi
- Institute of Biotechnology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Alireza Afsharifar
- Plant Virology Research Center, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Seyed Mohsen Taghavi
- Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ali Moghadam
- Institute of Biotechnology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Farzaneh Aram
- Institute of Biotechnology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
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Williams L, Jurado S, Llorente F, Romualdo A, González S, Saconne A, Bronchalo I, Martínez-Cortes M, Pérez-Gómez B, Ponz F, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ, Lunello P. The C-Terminal Half of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein, Industrially Produced in Plants, Is Valid as Antigen in COVID-19 Serological Tests. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:699665. [PMID: 34386028 PMCID: PMC8354202 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.699665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The fight against the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created a huge demand of biotechnological, pharmaceutical, research and sanitary materials at unprecedented scales. One of the most urgent demands affects the diagnostic tests. The growing need for rapid and accurate laboratory diagnostic tests requires the development of biotechnological processes aimed at producing reagents able to cope with this demand in a scalable, cost-effective manner, with rapid turnaround times. This is particularly applicable to the antigens employed in serological tests. Recombinant protein expression using plants as biofactories is particularly suitable for mass production of protein antigens useful in serological diagnosis, with a neat advantage in economic terms. METHODS We expressed a large portion of the nucleoprotein (N) derived from SARS-CoV-2 in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. After purification, the recombinant N protein obtained was used to develop an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in human sera. To validate the ELISA, a panel of 416 sera from exposed personnel at essential services in Madrid City Council were tested, and the results compared to those obtained by another ELISA, already validated, used as reference. Furthermore, a subset of samples for which RT-PCR results were available were used to confirm sensitivity and specificity of the test. RESULTS The performance of the N protein expressed in plants as antigen in serologic test for SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection was shown to be highly satisfactory, with calculated diagnostic sensitivity of 96.41% (95% CI: 93.05-98.44) and diagnostic specificity of 96.37 (95% CI: 93.05-98.44) as compared to the reference ELISA, with a kappa (K) value of 0.928 (95% CI:0.892-0.964). Furthermore, the ELISA developed with plant-derived N antigen detected SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in 84 out of 93 sera from individuals showing RT-PCR positive results (86/93 for the reference ELISA). CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that the N protein part derived from SARS-CoV-2 expressed in plants performs as a perfectly valid antigen for use in COVID-19 diagnosis. Furthermore, our results support the use of this plant platform for expression of recombinant proteins as reagents for COVID-19 diagnosis. This platform stands out as a convenient and advantageous production system, fit-for-purpose to cope with the current demand of this type of biologicals in a cost-effective manner, making diagnostic kits more affordable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Francisco Llorente
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Centro Nacional Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), Valdeolmos, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Beatriz Pérez-Gómez
- National Centre for Epidemiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Ponz
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid-Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (CBGP, UPM-INIA, CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Jiménez-Clavero
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Centro Nacional Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), Valdeolmos, Spain
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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McNulty MJ, Kelada K, Paul D, Nandi S, McDonald KA. Introducing uncertainty quantification to techno-economic models of manufacturing field-grown plant-made products. FOOD AND BIOPRODUCTS PROCESSING 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbp.2021.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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