Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 11, 2026

A Comparative Analysis of Recombinant Protein Expression in Different Biofactories: Bacteria, Insect Cells and Plant Systems
Published on: March 23, 2015
Processing of a chimeric protein in chloroplasts is different in transgenic maize and tobacco plants
F Van Breusegem1, S Kushnir, L Slooten
1Laboratorium voor Genetica, Department Genetica, Vlaams Interuniversitair Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Universiteit Gent, Belgium.
Abstract:
Transgenic maize (Zea mays L.) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum Petit Havana SR1) plants have been generated, which overproduce a mitochondrial Nicotiana plumbaginifolia manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) in chloroplasts. For this, the mature MnSOD-coding sequence was fused to a chloroplast transit peptide from a Pisum sativum ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco) gene and expression of the chimeric gene was driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter. The transgenic MnSOD gene product was correctly targeted to the chloroplasts both in maize and tobacco. However, despite the use of the CaMV 35S promoter, the MnSOD was predominantly localized in the chloroplasts of the bundle sheath cells of maize. Furthermore, the transit peptide was cleaved off at a different position in maize and tobacco.
Related Concept Videos
Transgenic Organisms
Export of Mitochondrial and Chloroplast Genes
Protein Transport to the Stroma
Protein complexes called the translocon of the outer chloroplast membrane or TOC complex, and the translocon of the inner chloroplast membrane or TIC complex mediate the...
Protein Transport to the Outer Chloroplast Membrane
Two models describe the mechanism of precursor recognition and entry across the outer membrane through the TOC complex. Model 1 suggests the newly synthesized precursor binds to the TOC receptor 159 and forms a complex.
Transgenic Plants
The first-ever transgenic plant was a tobacco plant developed in 1983 that showed resistance against the tobacco mosaic virus. Since then, many transgenic plants have been developed and commercialized for improving the agricultural, ornamental, and horticultural value of a crop plant. Transgenic...
Protein Transport to the Inner Chloroplast Membrane

