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Efficient Agroinfiltration of Plants for High-level Transient Expression of Recombinant Proteins
Published on: July 23, 2013
An efficient plant viral expression system generating orally immunogenic Norwalk virus-like particles
Luca Santi1, Lance Batchelor, Zhong Huang
1The Biodesign Institute and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5401, USA.
Vaccine
|March 8, 2008
Summary
This study developed a rapid plant-based system to produce oral vaccines. The new method efficiently generates Norwalk virus-like particles (VLPs) that successfully induce immune responses.
Area of Science:
- Plant biotechnology
- Immunology
- Virology
Background:
- Virus-like particles (VLPs) from enteric pathogens are suitable for oral immunization research.
- Previous transgenic plant methods for recombinant NV-like particles (rNVs) faced limitations in generation time and antigen yield.
Purpose of the Study:
- To overcome limitations of transgenic approaches for rNV production.
- To establish an efficient transient expression system for generating orally immunogenic rNVs.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-derived transient expression system in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves.
- Produced and partially purified recombinant Norwalk virus-like particles (rNVs).
- Administered rNVs orally to CD1 mice for immunization studies.
Main Results:
- Achieved high yields of properly assembled rNV (0.8 mg/g leaf) within 12 days post-infection.
- Oral immunization with rNV elicited significant systemic and mucosal immune responses in mice.
- Demonstrated the efficacy of the transient expression system for VLP production.
Conclusions:
- The plant viral transient expression system offers a robust and efficient method for producing abundant, orally immunogenic rNVs.
- This system provides a valuable tool for research and potential development of VLP-based oral vaccines.
