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Zahmanova G, Aljabali AAA, Takova K, Minkov G, Tambuwala MM, Minkov I, Lomonossoff GP. Green Biologics: Harnessing the Power of Plants to Produce Pharmaceuticals. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17575. [PMID: 38139405 PMCID: PMC10743837 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants are increasingly used for the production of high-quality biological molecules for use as pharmaceuticals and biomaterials in industry. Plants have proved that they can produce life-saving therapeutic proteins (Elelyso™-Gaucher's disease treatment, ZMapp™-anti-Ebola monoclonal antibodies, seasonal flu vaccine, Covifenz™-SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particle vaccine); however, some of these therapeutic proteins are difficult to bring to market, which leads to serious difficulties for the manufacturing companies. The closure of one of the leading companies in the sector (the Canadian biotech company Medicago Inc., producer of Covifenz) as a result of the withdrawal of investments from the parent company has led to the serious question: What is hindering the exploitation of plant-made biologics to improve health outcomes? Exploring the vast potential of plants as biological factories, this review provides an updated perspective on plant-derived biologics (PDB). A key focus is placed on the advancements in plant-based expression systems and highlighting cutting-edge technologies that streamline the production of complex protein-based biologics. The versatility of plant-derived biologics across diverse fields, such as human and animal health, industry, and agriculture, is emphasized. This review also meticulously examines regulatory considerations specific to plant-derived biologics, shedding light on the disparities faced compared to biologics produced in other systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergana Zahmanova
- Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (K.T.)
- Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Alaa A. A. Aljabali
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Yarmouk University, Irbid 21163, Jordan;
| | - Katerina Takova
- Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (K.T.)
| | - George Minkov
- Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (K.T.)
| | - Murtaza M. Tambuwala
- Lincoln Medical School, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool Campus, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK;
| | - Ivan Minkov
- Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnologies, 4108 Markovo, Bulgaria
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Maharjan PM, Cheon J, Jung J, Kim H, Lee J, Song M, Jeong GU, Kwon Y, Shim B, Choe S. Plant-Expressed Receptor Binding Domain of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Elicits Humoral Immunity in Mice. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:978. [PMID: 34579215 PMCID: PMC8472882 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9090978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The current 15-month coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has accounted for 3.77 million deaths and enormous worldwide social and economic losses. A high volume of vaccine production is urgently required to eliminate COVID-19. Inexpensive and robust production platforms will improve the distribution of vaccines to resource-limited countries. Plant species offer such platforms, particularly through the production of recombinant proteins to serve as immunogens. To achieve this goal, here we expressed the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein in the glycoengineered-tobacco plant Nicotiana benthamiana to provide a candidate subunit vaccine. This recombinant RBD elicited humoral immunity in mice via induction of highly neutralizing antibodies. These findings provide a strong foundation to further advance the development of plant-expressed RBD antigens for use as an effective, safe, and inexpensive SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Moreover, our study further highlights the utility of plant species for vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puna Maya Maharjan
- G+FLAS Life Sciences, 123 Uiryodanji-gil, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si 28161, Korea; (P.M.M.); (J.L.); (M.S.)
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Jinyeong Cheon
- G+FLAS Life Sciences, 38 Nakseongdae-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08790, Korea; (J.C.); (J.J.); (H.K.)
| | - Jiyun Jung
- G+FLAS Life Sciences, 38 Nakseongdae-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08790, Korea; (J.C.); (J.J.); (H.K.)
| | - Haerim Kim
- G+FLAS Life Sciences, 38 Nakseongdae-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08790, Korea; (J.C.); (J.J.); (H.K.)
| | - Jaewon Lee
- G+FLAS Life Sciences, 123 Uiryodanji-gil, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si 28161, Korea; (P.M.M.); (J.L.); (M.S.)
| | - Minjeong Song
- G+FLAS Life Sciences, 123 Uiryodanji-gil, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si 28161, Korea; (P.M.M.); (J.L.); (M.S.)
| | - Gi Uk Jeong
- Center for Convergent Research for Emerging Virus Infection, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea; (G.U.J.); (Y.K.)
| | - Youngchan Kwon
- Center for Convergent Research for Emerging Virus Infection, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 34114, Korea; (G.U.J.); (Y.K.)
| | - Byoungshik Shim
- International Vaccine Institute, SNU Research Park, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Korea;
| | - Sunghwa Choe
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Korea
- G+FLAS Life Sciences, 38 Nakseongdae-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08790, Korea; (J.C.); (J.J.); (H.K.)
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Zakirova EY, Chastukhina IB, Valeeva LR, Vorobev VV, Rizvanov AA, Palotás A, Shakirov EV. Stable Co-Cultivation of the Moss Physcomitrella patens with Human Cells in vitro as a New Approach to Support Metabolism of Diseased Alzheimer Cells. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 70:75-89. [PMID: 31177231 DOI: 10.3233/jad-190333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating slowly progressive neurodegenerative disorder with no cure. While there are many hypotheses, the exact mechanism causing this pathology is still unknown. Among many other features, AD is characterized by brain hypometabolism and decreased sugar availability, to which neurons eventually succumb. In light of this aspect of the disease, we hypothesized that boosting fuel supply to neurons may help them survive or at least alleviate some of the symptoms. Here we demonstrate that live moss Physcomitrella patens cells can be safely co-cultured with human fibroblasts in vitro and thus have a potential for providing human cells with energy and other vital biomolecules. These data may form the foundation for the development of novel approaches to metabolic bioengineering and treatment of diseased cells based on live plants. In addition, by providing alternative energy sources to human tissues, the biotechnological potential of this interkingdom setup could also serve as a springboard to foster innovative dietary processes addressing current challenges of mankind such as famine or supporting long-haul space flight.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - András Palotás
- Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia.,Asklepios-Med (Private Medical Practice and Research Center), Szeged, Hungary
| | - Eugene V Shakirov
- Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia.,University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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Seed Metabolome Analysis of a Transgenic Rice Line Expressing Cholera Toxin B-subunit. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5196. [PMID: 28701756 PMCID: PMC5507873 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04701-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant-based human vaccines have been actively developed in recent years, and rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the best candidate crops for their production and delivery. By expressing a modified cholera toxin B (CTB) subunit, we previously developed MucoRice-CTB, a rice-based vaccine against cholera, which is caused by infection of the intestine with the bacteria Vibrio cholerae. MucoRice-CTB lines have been extensively characterized by whole-genome sequencing and proteome analyses to evaluate the mutation profiles and proteome status, respectively. Here, we report non-targeted metabolomic profiling of the MucoRice-CTB transgenic rice line 51A (MR-CTB51A), MucoRice-RNAi (MR-RNAi), and their non-transgenic parent line by using gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The levels of several amino acids, organic acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and secondary metabolites were significantly increased in MR-CTB51A compared with the non-transgenic parent line. These metabolomics results complement essential information obtained by genome sequencing and proteomics approaches, thereby contributing to comprehensive understanding of the properties of MucoRice-CTB as a plant-based vaccine.
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Wang YP, Wei ZY, Zhong XF, Lin CJ, Cai YH, Ma J, Zhang YY, Liu YZ, Xing SC. Stable Expression of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor in Chloroplasts of Tobacco. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 17:E19. [PMID: 26703590 PMCID: PMC4730266 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17010019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [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: 11/04/2015] [Revised: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a multifunctional factor in acceleration of cell proliferation, differentiation and transference, and therefore widely used in clinical applications. In this study, expression vector pWX-Nt03 harboring a codon-optimized bFGF gene was constructed and introduced into the tobacco chloroplasts by particle bombardment. After four rounds of selection, bFGF was proved to integrate into the chloroplast genome of regenerated plants and two of four transgenic plants were confirmed to be homoplastomic by PCR and Southern hybridization. ELISA assay indicated that bFGF represented approximately 0.1% of total soluble protein in the leaves of transplastomic tobacco plants. This is the first report of bFGF expression via chloroplast transformation in model plant, providing an additional option for the production of chloroplast-produced therapeutic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Peng Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Agro-Biotechnology Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1363, Shengtai st., Changchun 130033, China.
| | - Zheng-Yi Wei
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Agro-Biotechnology Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1363, Shengtai st., Changchun 130033, China.
| | - Xiao-Fang Zhong
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Agro-Biotechnology Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1363, Shengtai st., Changchun 130033, China.
| | - Chun-Jing Lin
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Agro-Biotechnology Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1363, Shengtai st., Changchun 130033, China.
| | - Yu-Hong Cai
- Institute of Agricultural Quality Standard and Testing Technology, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1363, Shengtai st., Changchun 130033, China.
| | - Jian Ma
- Faculty of Agronomy, Jilin Agricultural University, No. 2888, Xincheng st., Changchun 130118, China.
| | - Yu-Ying Zhang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Agro-Biotechnology Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1363, Shengtai st., Changchun 130033, China.
- College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, No. 2 West Yuanmingyuan Road, Beijing 100094, China.
| | - Yan-Zhi Liu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Agro-Biotechnology Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1363, Shengtai st., Changchun 130033, China.
| | - Shao-Chen Xing
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Agro-Biotechnology Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1363, Shengtai st., Changchun 130033, China.
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Perez-Riverol A, Justo-Jacomini DL, Zollner RDL, Brochetto-Braga MR. Facing Hymenoptera Venom Allergy: From Natural to Recombinant Allergens. Toxins (Basel) 2015; 7:2551-70. [PMID: 26184309 PMCID: PMC4516928 DOI: 10.3390/toxins7072551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Revised: 05/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Along with food and drug allergic reactions, a Hymenoptera insect Sting (Apoidea, Vespidae, Formicidae) is one of the most common causes of anaphylaxis worldwide. Diagnoses of Hymenoptera venom allergy (HVA) and specific immunotherapy (SIT) have been based on the use of crude venom extracts. However, the incidence of cross-reactivity and low levels of sensibility during diagnosis, as well as the occurrence of nonspecific sensitization and undesired side effects during SIT, encourage the search for novel allergenic materials. Recombinant allergens are an interesting approach to improve allergy diagnosis and SIT because they circumvent major problems associated with the use of crude venom. Production of recombinant allergens depends on the profound molecular characterization of the natural counterpart by combining some “omics” approaches with high-throughput screening techniques and the selection of an appropriate system for heterologous expression. To date, several clinically relevant allergens and novel venom toxins have been identified, cloned and characterized, enabling a better understanding of the whole allergenic and envenoming processes. Here, we review recent findings on identification, molecular characterization and recombinant expression of Hymenoptera venom allergens and on the evaluation of these heterologous proteins as valuable tools for tackling remaining pitfalls on HVA diagnosis and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amilcar Perez-Riverol
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Artrópodes-LBMA-IB-RC-UNESP (Univ Estadual Paulista), Av. 24-A, n_ 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro 13506-900, SP, Brazil.
| | - Débora Lais Justo-Jacomini
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Artrópodes-LBMA-IB-RC-UNESP (Univ Estadual Paulista), Av. 24-A, n_ 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro 13506-900, SP, Brazil.
| | - Ricardo de Lima Zollner
- Laboratório de Imunologia e Alergia Experimental-LIAE, Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, FCM, Universidade Estadual de Campinas-UNICAMP, Rua Tessália Vieira de Camargo n_ 126, Cidade Universitária "Zeferino Vaz", Campinas 13083-887, SP, Brazil.
| | - Márcia Regina Brochetto-Braga
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Artrópodes-LBMA-IB-RC-UNESP (Univ Estadual Paulista), Av. 24-A, n_ 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro 13506-900, SP, Brazil.
- Centro de Estudos de Venenos e Animais Peçonhentos-CEVAP (Univ Estadual Paulista), Rua José Barbosa de Barros, 1780, Fazenda Experimental Lageado, Botucatu 18610-307, SP, Brazil.
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Kashima K, Mejima M, Kurokawa S, Kuroda M, Kiyono H, Yuki Y. Comparative whole-genome analyses of selection marker-free rice-based cholera toxin B-subunit vaccine lines and wild-type lines. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:48. [PMID: 25653106 PMCID: PMC4320824 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1285-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We have developed a rice-based oral cholera vaccine named MucoRice-CTB (Cholera Toxin B-subunit) by using an Agrobacterium tumefaciens–mediated co-transformation system. To assess the genome-wide effects of this system on the rice genome, we compared the genomes of three selection marker–free MucoRice-CTB lines with those of two wild-type rice lines (Oryza sativa L. cv. Nipponbare). Mutation profiles of the transgenic and wild-type genomes were examined by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Results Using paired-end short-read sequencing, a total of more than 300 million reads for each line were obtained and mapped onto the rice reference genome. The number and distribution of variants were similar in all five lines: the numbers of line-specific variants ranged from 524 to 842 and corresponding mutation rates ranged from 1.41 × 10−6 per site to 2.28 × 10−6 per site. The frequency of guanine-to-thymine and cytosine-to-adenine transversions was higher in MucoRice-CTB lines than in WT lines. The transition-to-transversion ratio was 1.12 in MucoRice-CTB lines and 1.65 in WT lines. Analysis of variant-sharing profiles showed that the variants common to all five lines were the most abundant, and the numbers of line-specific variant for all lines were similar. The numbers of non-synonymous amino acid substitutions in MucoRice-CTB lines (15 to 21) were slightly higher than those in WT lines (7 or 8), whereas the numbers of frame shifts were similar in all five lines. Conclusions We conclude that MucoRice-CTB and WT are almost identical at the genomic level and that genome-wide effects caused by the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system for marker-free MucoRice-CTB lines were slight. The comparative whole-genome analyses between MucoRice-CTB and WT lines using NGS provides a reliable estimate of genome-wide differences. A similar approach may be applicable to other transgenic rice plants generated by using this Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1285-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Kashima
- Division of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. .,Asahi Kogyosha Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Mio Mejima
- Division of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Shiho Kurokawa
- Division of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Masaharu Kuroda
- Crop Development Division, NARO Agriculture Research Center, Niigata, Japan.
| | - Hiroshi Kiyono
- Division of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. .,International Research and Development Center for Mucosal Vaccines, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Yoshikazu Yuki
- Division of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. .,International Research and Development Center for Mucosal Vaccines, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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Saravanan V, Lakshmi PTV. Fuzzy Logic for Personalized Healthcare and Diagnostics: FuzzyApp—A Fuzzy Logic Based Allergen-Protein Predictor. OMICS-A JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY 2014; 18:570-81. [DOI: 10.1089/omi.2014.0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Vijayakumar Saravanan
- Centre for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, India
| | - PTV Lakshmi
- Centre for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, India
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