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Expression of the rabies virus nucleoprotein in plants at high-levels and evaluation of immune responses in mice

  • Genetic Transformation and Hybridization
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Abstract

Transgenic plants have been employed successfully as a low-cost system for the production of therapeutically valuable proteins including antibodies, antigens and hormones. Here, we report expression of a full-length nucleoprotein gene of rabies virus in transgenic tomato plants. The nucleoprotein was also transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana plants by agroinfiltration. In both cases, the nucleoprotein was expressed at high levels, 1–5% of total soluble protein in tomato and 45% in N. benthamiana. Previously, only epitopes of the nucleoprotein had been expressed in plants. The presence and expression of the transgene was verified by PCR, Southern, northern and western blots. Mice were immunized both intraperitoneally (i.p.) and orally with tomato protein extracts containing the N protein induced the production of antibodies. The antibody titer of mice immunized i.p., was at least four times higher than that of mice immunized orally. These results were reflected in the challenge experiments where i.p.-immunized mice were partially protected against a peripheral virus challenge whereas orally immunized mice were not. This protection was comparable to that obtained in previous experiments employing different expression systems. Work is in progress to express both G and N proteins in transgenic plants and evaluate protection in mice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ingeniería Genética de Plantas, Libramiento Norte Carretera Irapuato-León, Cinvestav Campus Guanajuato. Km 9.6, Apdo. Postal 629, Irapuato, 36500, Guanajuato, Mexico

    Irene Perea Arango & Miguel Angel Gómez Lim

  2. Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Disciplinarias en Microbiología Animal, INIFAP, Carretera Federal México Toluca Km. 15.5, Colonia Palo Alto, CP 05110, D.F, Mexico

    Elizabeth Loza Rubio & Edith Rojas Anaya

  3. Facultad de Química, Conjunto E, Laboratorio 116, Paseo de la Investigación Científica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico, CP 04510, D.F, Mexico

    Teresa Olivera Flores

  4. Biotecnología y Bioquímica, Libramiento Norte Carretera Irapuato-León, Cinvestav Campus Guanajuato. Km 9.6, Apdo. Postal 629, Irapuato, 36500, Guanajuato, Mexico

    Luis Gonzalez de la Vara

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  1. Irene Perea Arango
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  2. Elizabeth Loza Rubio
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  3. Edith Rojas Anaya
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  4. Teresa Olivera Flores
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  5. Luis Gonzalez de la Vara
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  6. Miguel Angel Gómez Lim
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Correspondence to Miguel Angel Gómez Lim.

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Communicated by G.D. May.

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Perea Arango, I., Loza Rubio, E., Rojas Anaya, E. et al. Expression of the rabies virus nucleoprotein in plants at high-levels and evaluation of immune responses in mice. Plant Cell Rep 27, 677–685 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-007-0324-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-007-0324-9

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