Transgenic plant production of Cyanovirin‐N, an HIV microbicide
- 14 December 2005
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in The FASEB Journal
- Vol. 20 (2), 356-358
- https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.05-4742fje
Abstract
Cyanovirin-N (CV-N) is a microbicide candidate that inactivates a wide range of HIV strains by binding to gp120. Production of CV-N, or any protein microbicide, needs to be at extremely high levels and low cost to have an impact on global health. Thus, it is unlikely that fermentor-based systems will be suitable, including recombinant E. coli, where CV-N aggregates and dimers have consistently been found. Transgenic plants may provide a suitable expression system for protein microbicides, as production can be easily and economically scaled up. Here, Nicotiana tabacum was transformed with a gene encoding CV-N to explore proof of concept for the production of CV-N in transgenic plants. Plant-derived rCV-N was recoverable at levels of 130 ng/mg of fresh leaf tissue, or at least 0.85% of total soluble plant protein. Western blot analysis demonstrated that virtually all of the rCV-N was expressed in the desired monomeric form. Functionality was demonstrated by specific binding to gp120 and protection of T-cells from in vitro HIV infection. Hydroponic culturing of transgenic plants demonstrated CV-N rhizosecretion at levels of 0.64 mug/ml hydroponic media after 24 days. Therefore, we suggest that transgenic plants have the potential to provide strategies for large-scale protein microbicide production.Keywords
This publication has 20 references indexed in Scilit:
- Expression, purification, and characterization of recombinant cyanovirin-N for vaginal anti-HIV microbicide developmentProtein Expression and Purification, 2005
- Cyanovirin-N Inhibits AIDS Virus Infections in Vaginal Transmission ModelsAIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, 2004
- Inhibiting sexual transmission of HIV-1 infectionNature Reviews Microbiology, 2003
- The production of recombinant pharmaceutical proteins in plantsNature Reviews Genetics, 2003
- Cyanovirin-N Gel as a Topical Microbicide Prevents Rectal Transmission of SHIV89.6P in MacaquesAIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, 2003
- Expression of protective antigen in transgenic plants: a step towards edible vaccine against anthraxBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2002
- Functional homologs of cyanovirin-N amenable to mass production in prokaryotic and eukaryotic hostsProtein Expression and Purification, 2002
- Oral immunization with hepatitis B surface antigen expressed in transgenic plantsProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2001
- Human Immune Responses to a Novel Norwalk Virus Vaccine Delivered in Transgenic PotatoesThe Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2000
- Discovery of cyanovirin-N, a novel human immunodeficiency virus-inactivating protein that binds viral surface envelope glycoprotein gp120: potential applications to microbicide developmentAntimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 1997