Transformation Events (transformation + event)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Production of biopharmaceuticals and vaccines in plants via the chloroplast genome

BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 10 2006
Henry Daniell Dr.Article first published online: 27 SEP 200
Abstract Transgenic plants offer many advantages, including low cost of production (by elimination of fermenters), storage and transportation; heat stability; and absence of human pathogens. When therapeutic proteins are orally delivered, plant cells protect antigens in the stomach through bioencapsulation and eliminate the need for expensive purification and sterile injections, in addition to development of both systemic and mucosal immunity. Chloroplast genetic engineering offers several advantages, including high levels of transgene expression, transgene containment via maternal inheritance and multi-gene expression in a single transformation event. Hyper-expression of vaccine antigens against cholera, tetanus, anthrax, plague or canine parvovirus (4,31% of total soluble protein, tsp) in transgenic chloroplasts (leaves) or non-green plastids (carrots, tomato), as well as the availability of antibiotic-free selectable markers or the ability to excise selectable marker genes, facilitate oral delivery. Hyper-expression of several therapeutic proteins, including human serum albumin (11.1% tsp), somatotropin (7% tsp), interferon-gamma (6% tsp), anti-microbial peptide (21.5% tsp), facilitates efficient and economic purification. Also, the presence of chaperones and enzymes in chloroplasts facilitate assembly of complex multi-subunit proteins and correct folding of human blood proteins with proper disulfide bonds. Functionality of chloroplast-derived vaccine antigens and therapeutic proteins has been demonstrated by several assays, including the macrophage lysis assay, GM1-ganglioside binding assay, protection of HeLa cells or human lung carcinoma cells against encephalomyocarditis virus, systemic immune response, protection against pathogen challenge, and growth or inhibition of cell cultures. Thus, transgenic chloroplasts are ideal bioreactors for production of functional human and animal therapeutic proteins in an environmentally friendly manner. [source]


Infection of bovine cells by the protozoan parasite Theileria annulata modulates expression of the ISGylation system

CELLULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2006
Chris A. L. Oura
Summary The apicomplexan parasite, Theileria annulata, dedifferentiates and induces continuous division of infected bovine myeloid cells. Re-expression of differentiation markers and a loss of proliferation occur upon treatment with buparvaquone, implying that parasite factors actively maintain the altered status of the infected cell. The factors that induce this unique transformation event have not been identified. However, parasite polypeptides (TashAT family) that are located in the infected leucocyte nucleus have been postulated to function as modulators of host cell phenotype. In this study differential RNA display and proteomic analysis were used to identify altered mRNA and polypeptide expression profiles in a bovine macrophage cell line (BoMac) transfected with TashAT2. One of the genes identified by differential display was found to encode an ubiquitin-like protease (bUBP43) belonging to the UBP43 family. The bUBP43 gene and the gene encoding its ubiquitin-like substrate, bISG15, were expressed at a low level in T. annulata -infected cells. However, infected cells were refractory to induction of elevated bISG15 expression by lipopolysaccharide or type 1 interferons while TashAT2 -transfected cells showed no induction when treated with camptothecin. Modulation of the ISGylation system may be of relevance to the establishment of the transformed infected host cell, as ISGylation is associated with resistance to intracellular infection by pathogens, stimulation of the immune response and terminal differentiation of leukaemic cells. [source]


Development of a strategy for transgenic studies and monitoring of transgene expression in two closely related Moricandia species possessing a C3 or C3,C4 intermediate photosynthetic phenotype

PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM, Issue 1 2003
Vera Thole
In order to establish a model system for comparative studies of C3 and C3,C4 intermediate photosynthesis, the development of efficient transformation systems and the monitoring of transgene behaviour and stability were carried out in two closely related Moricandia species (Brassicaceae): the C3,C4 photosynthetic intermediate species M. arvensis and the C3 species M. moricandioides. In this study the green fluorescent protein (gfp) reporter gene was used as a vital marker gene while the use of the , -glucuronidase (gusA) gene was based on the highly sensitive detection of its activity. For Agrobacterium -mediated transformation of leaf explants, a cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter-driven, modified version of gfp, the mgfp5-ER gene and the gusA gene, respectively, were introduced into the new dual binary transformation vector system pGreen/pSoup (Hellens et al. 2000, Plant Mol Bio 42: 819,832). GFP5 produced bright-green fluorescence in transformed tissues that was distinctly detected 5,12 days following transformation in developing calli of the two species. Visual screening, combined with antibiotic selection, enabled early and easy identification of transformation events and contributed to improvements in the transformation strategies. Transgene integration studies demonstrated that mgfp5-ER was inserted with low copy number in the M. arvensis plant lines and the transgene was transmitted in a Mendelian fashion to T1 and T2 progenies. GFP5 expression levels in a population of 100 independent primary transformed M. arvensis plant lines (T0) showed great variation between transformation events (coefficient of variation of 108%). The mgfp5-ER or gusA reporter genes were expressed in 90,95% of the kanamycin-resistant M. arvensis plant lines and in up to 98% of the independent M. moricandioides plant lines. [source]


Viability and bar expression are negatively correlated in Oregon Wolfe Barley Dominant hybrids

PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 3 2007
Phil Bregitzer
Summary The expression level of bar, which encodes phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT), was correlated with the inviability of barley hybrids between 20 Golden Promise-derived transgenic lines (Ds-bar lines) and a specialized genetic marker stock, Oregon Wolfe Barley Dominant (OWBD). Each Ds-bar line was homozygous for a modified maize Ds element that encoded bar and that had been delivered via transposition to a unique location. All Ds-bar lines were viable and morphologically similar. Only four of the 20 hybrid populations were viable. The remaining populations died prior to producing seed. Phenotypic, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analyses of these lines, and of lines from unrelated transformation events that also expressed bar, showed that viability was negatively correlated with bar expression. Analysis of crosses of a high- bar -expressing line with the OWB mapping population showed that the sensitivity of OWBD to PAT segregated as a single locus on chromosome 6HL. No sensitivity to PAT could be detected in several other lines and cultivars. OWBD has been shown to be genetically divergent from other germplasm groups within cultivated barley; therefore, the observed sensitivity may be peculiar to OWBD and thus would not impact generally on the utility of bar as a selectable marker or source of herbicide resistance in barley. Nevertheless, these results demonstrate the extent of allelic variability present in Hordeum vulgare, and suggest an additional variable for consideration when devising protocols for the transformation of Hordeum cultivars or landraces that are not known to be tolerant to PAT. [source]


Unintended changes in protein expression revealed by proteomic analysis of seeds from transgenic pea expressing a bean ,-amylase inhibitor gene

PROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 18 2009
Hancai Chen
Abstract Seeds of genetically modified (GM) peas (Pisum sativum L.) expressing the gene for ,-amylase inhibitor-1 (,AI1) from the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Tendergreen) exhibit resistance to the pea weevil (Bruchus pisorum). A proteomic analysis was carried out to compare seeds from GM pea lines expressing the bean ,AI1 protein and the corresponding ,AI1-free segregating lines and non-GM parental line to identify unintended alterations to the proteome of GM peas due to the introduction of the gene for ,AI1. Proteomic analysis showed that in addition to the presence of ,AI1, 33 other proteins were differentially accumulated in the ,AI1-expressing GM lines compared with their non-GM parental line and these were grouped into five expression classes. Among these 33 proteins, only three were found to be associated with the expression of ,AI1 in the GM pea lines. The accumulation of the remaining 30 proteins appears to be associated with Agrobacterium -mediated transformation events. Sixteen proteins were identified after MALDI-TOF-TOF analysis. About 56% of the identified proteins with altered accumulation in the GM pea were storage proteins including legumin, vicilin or convicilin, phaseolin, cupin and valosin-containing protein. Two proteins were uniquely expressed in the ,AI1-expressing GM lines and one new protein was present in both the ,AI1-expressing GM lines and their ,AI1-free segregating lines, suggesting that both transgenesis and transformation events led to demonstrable changes in the proteomes of the GM lines tested. [source]


Transformation Series as an Ideographic Character Concept

CLADISTICS, Issue 1 2004
Taran Grant
An ideographic concept of character is indispensable to phylogenetic inference. Hennig proposed that characters be conceptualized as "transformation series", a proposal that is firmly grounded in evolutionary theory and consistent with the method of inferring transformation events as evidence of phylogenetic propinquity. Nevertheless, that concept is usually overlooked or rejected in favor of others based on similarity. Here we explicate Hennig's definition of character as an ideographic concept in the science of phylogenetic systematics. As transformation series, characters are historical individuals akin to species and clades. As such, the related concept of homology refers to a historical identity relation and is not equivalent to or synonymous with synapomorphy. The distinction between primary and secondary homology is dismissed on the grounds that it conflates the concept of homology with the discovery operations used to detect instances of that concept. Although concern for character dependence is generally valid, it is often misplaced, focusing on functional or developmental correlation (both of which are irrelevant in phylogenetic systematics but may be valid in other fields) instead of the historical/transformational independence relevant to phylogenetic inference. As an ideographic science concerned with concrete objects and events (i.e. individuals), intensionally and extensionally defined properties are inconsistent with the individuation of characters for phylogenetic analysis, the utility of properties being limited to communicating results and facilitating future rounds of testing. [source]