title: Enhanced stable expression of aVibrio luciferase under the control of the Ω-translational enhancer in transgenic plants.
abstract: A fusion gene usingluxA andluxB genes ofVibrio species has been designed to express light autonomously in plants.LuxA:luxB was introduced into plants by a high-efficiency transformation system consisting of a high-copy virulence helper plasmid pUCD2614 and T-vector pUCD2715 containingluxA:luxB. The expression ofluxA:luxB fusion gene was optimized by adjusting the spacing between the genes and by placing the translational efficiency of its mRNA under the control of the Ω-3 translational enhancer. The resulting transgenic plants synthesized luciferase at levels greater than 1% of the total leaf protein. These plants produced light autonomously and light intensity was enhanced by the addition of aldehyde. That theluxA:luxB fusion has been optimized enables its use as a reporter for gene activity in plants during development and under various stress-inducing conditions. These results show that a specific protein from an introduced foreign gene can be produced with high efficiency in cultivated plants and such a system is therefore amenable for production of desired proteins through conventional farming methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, 95616, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chlumsky
authors.forename: T O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Kado