Production of Recombinant Proteins in Plants

Victor Klirnyuk, Sylvestre Marillonnet, Jorg Knablein, Michael McCaman, and Yuri Cleba 

This chapter reviews progress and challenges in the area of production of recombinant proteins, in particular biopharmaceuticals, in plants. Different expression platforms are summarized, including those based on the use of transgenic, transplastomic or transfected plants as production hosts. The quality and yield of recombinant proteins produced in and purified from plants, as well as progress in clinical trials with plant-made pharmaceutical proteins are described. The advantages, limitations and biological safety aspects of plant-based production of biopharmaceuticals are discussed. 

PTGS post-transcriptional gene silencing TMV tobacco mosaic virus 

Numerous reviews concerning plant molecular farming have been published in recent years [1-6]. Analysis of these reviews and of recent research publications shows a change of priorities in the perceived advantages of plants as production hosts for recombinant proteins. Initially, the emphasis was on unhmited scalability and low cost of plant-based production, whereas yield and biosafety issues were not properly addressed. However, the last two parameters are crucial for determining the economics and, consequently the chances for commercial success of each specific plant-based system. 

Copyright 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH Co. KGaA, Weinheim ISBN 3-527-31184-X 

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Borisjuk NV, Borisjuk LG, Logendra S, et al. Production of recombinant proteins in plant root exudates. Nature BiotechnoL, 1999 17(5) 466-469. 

This brief account of currently available products and under development (see Table 6.4) provides evidence that, despite several drawbacks, the production of recombinant proteins in plants is steadily progressing. However, it is also evident that all expression platforms in use have certain... 

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