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Co-expression of multiple target proteins in plants from a tobacco mosaic virus vector using a combination of homologous and heterologous subgenomic promoters

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Abstract

To co-express multiple target proteins, we engineered a single-component chimeric tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-based vector containing homologous and heterologous capsid protein subgenomic RNA promoters. Delivery of this vector into Nicotiana benthamiana plants via agroinfiltration resulted in co-expression of two reporter genes within a single cell. Furthermore, co-expression of a host-specific antisense RNA or a silencing suppressor protein from this vector augmented the accumulation of green fluorescent protein or a vaccine antigen, hemagglutinin from avian influenza virus A/Vietnam/1194/04. These findings suggest that this chimeric vector utilizing the homologous and heterologous subgenomic TMV promoters has a potential for high-level production of multiple therapeutic proteins including monoclonal antibodies.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge and thank Roger Hellens and Phil Mullineaux of the John Innes Centre for the ‘pGreen’ vector system, and T. Satyanarayana from University of Florida for providing with CTV-P23 gene. The authors also thank Natasha Kushnir for editorial assistance. This work was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, United States.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Author notes

  1. Gourgopal Roy

    Present address: Martek Biosciences Corporation (DSM), 6480 Dobbin Road, Columbia, MD, 21045, USA

  2. Shailaja Rabindran

    Present address: USDA/APHIS/BRS, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD, 20737, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology, 9 Innovation Way, Suite 200, Newark, DE, 19711, USA

    Gourgopal Roy, Sangeetha Weisburg, Kelly Foy, Shailaja Rabindran, Vadim Mett & Vidadi Yusibov

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  1. Gourgopal Roy
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  2. Sangeetha Weisburg
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  3. Kelly Foy
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  4. Shailaja Rabindran
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  5. Vadim Mett
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  6. Vidadi Yusibov
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Correspondence to Vidadi Yusibov.

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Roy, G., Weisburg, S., Foy, K. et al. Co-expression of multiple target proteins in plants from a tobacco mosaic virus vector using a combination of homologous and heterologous subgenomic promoters. Arch Virol 156, 2057–2061 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-011-1069-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-011-1069-x

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