Transgenic Tobacco Producing ‘Anti-Emphysema’ Protein

A group of scientists from Bayer CropScience has developed transgenic tobacco plants accumulating high-levels of human alpha1-antitrypsin (A1AT), a protein that helps protect lungs from diseases such as emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A1AT deficiency is one of the most prevalent and potentially lethal hereditary diseases, resulting to pulmonary problems and liver disorders. Marketed A1AT is purified from pooled human plasma. Although this has not caused important safety problems so far, the supply of purified human A1AT is limited.

High level expression of biologically active A1AT, representing up to 2% of total soluble proteins, was measured in leaves of transgenic tobacco lines. The scientists specifically inserted the A1At gene in the chloroplast genome. The high protein synthesis capacity of chloroplasts makes them ideal ‘bio factories’ to produce therapeutic proteins. The scientists said that the expression level of the protease inhibitor in the chloroplast could be further increased, since there is no sign of any phytotoxicity induced by its synthesis.

Read the article published by Transgenic Research at http://www.springerlink.com/content/p51462681u156488/fulltext.pdf Non subscribers can read the abstract at http://www.springerlink.com/content/p51462681u156488/?p=07a9ad7233af4cf09d1336a6cdb13ffd&pi=0