title: Use of a PTGS-MAR expression system for efficient in planta production of bioactive Arabidopsis thaliana plant defensins.
abstract: Plant defensins, exhibiting various levels of inhibitory activity against fungal pathogens, are potent candidates for pharmaceutical or agricultural antimycotics. Study of the plant defensins from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana requires the purification of these peptides. However, heterologous production of defensins for large-scale in vitro bioactivity assays is often experienced as a major problem. In this study we describe the transgenic expression of a previously identified seed-specific and a so far uncharacterized plant defensin gene in their host A. thaliana using a formerly developed plant expression system. Therefore, both genes were cloned in a matrix attachment region (MAR) based plant transformation vector and expressed in post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) impaired A. thaliana plants. The peptides were purified to homogeneity and were correctly processed, as confirmed by mass spectrometry analysis. Finally, they were assessed for their in vitro antifungal activity and mode of antifungal action. Our results indicate that the PTGS-MAR expression system can be applied to obtain significant amounts of bioactive, rightly processed plant peptides from leaves of first generation transgenic plants.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, Heverlee, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sels
authors.forename: Stijn L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Delauré
authors.forename: An M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Aerts
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Proost
authors.forename: Bruno P A
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Cammue
authors.forename: Miguel F C
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: De Bolle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002645:Chickens; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D045170:Matrix Attachment Regions / Q000235:genetics; D009113:Muramidase / Q000235:genetics; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics*; D010957:Plasmids; D034622:RNA Interference; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C121819:PDF1 protein, Arabidopsis; D009113:Muramidase