Genetically stable expression of functional miraculin, a new type of alternative sweetener, in transgenic tomato plants.
Miraculin is a taste-modifying protein isolated from the red berries of Richadella dulcifica, a shrub native to West Africa. Miraculin by itself is not sweet, but it is able to turn a sour taste into a sweet taste. This unique property has led to increasing interest in this protein. In this article, we report the high-yield production of miraculin in transgenic tomato plants. High and genetically stable expression of miraculin was confirmed by Western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Recombinant miraculin accumulated to high levels in leaves and fruits, up to 102.5 and 90.7 microg/g fresh weight, respectively. Purified recombinant miraculin expressed in transgenic tomato plants showed strong sweetness-inducing activity, similar to that of native miraculin. These results demonstrate that recombinant miraculin was correctly processed in transgenic tomato plants, and that this production system could be a good alternative to production from the native plant.
Sun
Hyeon-Jin
HJ
Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Gene Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
Kataoka
Hiroshi
H
Yano
Megumu
M
Ezura
Hiroshi
H
D005638:Fruit / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000378:metabolism*; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D032133:Synsepalum / Q000235:genetics; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
D006023:Glycoproteins; C008533:miraculin protein, Synsepalum dulcificum