Expression of hepatitis B surface antigen in tobacco cell suspension cultures

Hepatitis B virus ' s ' gene coding for surface antigen was cloned into plant transformation vectors pHER100 and pHBs100 with and without endoplasmic reticulum retention signal, respectively. Transformed tobacco cell lines were analyzed for the integration of the transgene by PCR and Southern blot hybridization. Expression levels as determined by ELISA showed maximum expression levels of 2 microg HBsAg gm(-1) fresh weight and 10 ng mL(-1) of spent medium in pHER100 transformed cells. Western blot analysis confirmed the presence of 24 kDa band specific to HBsAg in the transformed cells. HBsAg was expressed both as intracellular and secreted forms in pHER100 transformed cells. The buoyant density in CsCl of HBsAg derived from pHBs100 transformed tobacco cells was determined and found to be 1.095 g mL(-1). HBsAg obtained from transformed tobacco cells is similar to the human serum derived one in buoyant density properties. This is the first report on the secretion of HBsAg particles by plant cells into the cell culture medium.     

Expression of hepatitis B small surface antigen in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Santalum album</Emphasis> embryogenic cell suspension cultures

Embryogenic cell suspension cultures of Santalum album were transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring pD35SHER plant expression vector having hepatitis B small surface antigen (HBsAg) with a C-terminal ER retention signal. The transformed colonies were selected on culture medium supplemented with kanamycin and subsequently the transgenic nature of these colonies was confirmed by PCR analysis. The expression of HBsAg was confirmed by RT-PCR analysis and Western blot analysis and the expression was quantified using monoclonal antibody-based ELISA. Cell suspension cultures were initiated from the colony with expression of 11.09 μg(HBsAg) g⁻¹(f.m.). To further increase the expression of HBsAg, transgenic S. album suspensions were cultured on media with various medium additives and cells growing in medium with 30 mM trehalose showed the expression of 19.95 μg(HBsAg) g⁻¹(f.m.).     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium</Emphasis>-mediated genetic transformation of embryogenic cell suspension cultures of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Santalum album</Emphasis> L.

An efficient method for Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of embryogenic cell suspension cultures of Santalum album L. is described. Embryogenic cell suspension cultures derived from stem internode callus were transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens harbouring pCAMBIA 1301 plant expression vector. Transformed colonies were selected on medium supplemented with hygromycin (5 mg/l). Continuously growing transformed cell suspension cultures were initiated from these colonies. Expression of β-glucuronidase in the suspension cultures was analysed by RT-PCR and GUS histochemical staining. GUS specific activity in the transformed suspension cultures was quantified using a MUG-based fluorometric assay. Expression levels of up to 105,870 pmol 4-MU/min/mg of total protein were noted in the transformed suspension cultures and 67,248 pmol 4-MU/min/mg of total protein in the spent media. Stability of GUS expression over a period of 7 months was studied. Plantlets were regenerated from the transformed embryogenic cells. Stable insertion of T-DNA into the host genome was confirmed by Southern blot analysis. This is the first report showing stable high-level expression of a foreign protein using embryogenic cell suspension cultures in S. album. U. K. S. Shekhawat and T. R. Ganapathi contributed equally to this work.     

Sucrose-inducible expression of hepatitis B surface antigen using potato granule-bound starch synthase promoter

NT-1 cells of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) were transformed with pGBSSHBS and pGBSSHER expression cassettes wherein expression of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was driven by potato granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS) promoter. The transformed nature of the cells was confirmed by PCR analysis. Expression of HBsAg was confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blotting and levels of expression were assayed by ELISA. Transformed cell lines exhibited a sucrose-inducible pattern of HBsAg expression. NT-1 medium supplemented with 175 mmol L⁻¹ sucrose gave the highest HBsAg expression of 198 ng g⁻¹ FW after 8 days of induction. Different sugars, for example glucose, fructose, and palatinose, were also tested to study the inducible nature of GBSS promoter. The results demonstrate that potato GBSS promoter can be used in heterologous host systems like tobacco NT-1 cell suspension cultures for sucrose-inducible expression of recombinant proteins.     

Secretion of hepatitis B surface antigen in transformed tobacco cell suspension cultures

Six different expression cassettes of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were used to transform tobacco cell suspension cultures. The transgenic nature of the cells was confirmed by PCR. The secreted HBsAg was assayed by ELISA and analyzed by Western blotting. A maximum of 31 μg antigen/l was obtained in the spent medium from the transformed cells. The use of an ethylene-forming enzyme promoter and incorporation of C-terminal endoplasmic-reticulum-retention signal enhanced the secretion of HBsAg. Salicylic or jasmonic acid at 10 μM increased secretion of HBsAg by six fold.     

Flat revertants derived from Kirsten murine sarcoma virus-transformed cells produce transforming growth factors

Two flat cellular revertant cell lines, F-2 and C-11, which were originally selected from the DT line of Kirsten murine sarcoma virus (Ki-MuSV)-transformed NIH/3T3 cells, were examined for the production of transforming growth factors (TGFs). The revertant cells fail to grow in semisolid medium as colonies and exhibit a markedly reduced level of tumorigenicity in nude mice, although they are known to express high levels of p21ras, the product of the Kirsten sarcoma virus oncogene, ras, and they contain a rescuable transforming virus. TGF activity associated with the transformed, revertant, and non-transformed cell lines was measured by the ability of concentrated conditioned medium (CM) from these cells to induce normal rat kidney (NRK) and NIH/3T3 cells to form colonies in semisolid agar suspension cultures and to inhibit the binding of 125I epidermal growth factor (EGF) to specific cell surface receptors. CM from the transformed DT cells and from both the F-2 and C-11 revertants contains TGF activity, in contrast to CM obtained from normal NIH/3T3 cells. Furthermore, unlike NIH/3T3 cells, neither the DT nor the revertant cells were able to bind 125I EGF. All four cell lines were able to proliferate in serum-free medium supplemented with transferrin, insulin, EGF, and Pedersen fetuin. However, in basal medium lacking these growth factors, only DT cells and, to a lesser extent, the revertant cells were able to grow. These results suggest that the F-2 and C-11 revertants fail to exhibit all of the properties associated with transformation because the series of events leading to the transformed phenotype is blocked at a point(s) distal both to the expression of the p21 ras gene product and also to the production of TGFs and that the production of TGFs may be necessary but not sufficient for maintaining the transformed state.     

Anchorage-independent colony formation of SV40 transformed BALB/c-3T3 cells in serum-free medium: role of cell- and serum-derived factors

The colony-forming response of SV40 transformed BALB/c-3T3 cells in agarose suspension culture was studied in a serum-free medium (with insulin, transferrin and serum albumin as the only macromolecular supplements) that was optimized for colony formation of fibronectin-attached monolayer cultures. In this serum-free medium, the SV3T3 cells fail to form colonies in agarose suspension. However, they can be induced to anchorage-independent colony formation by the growth factors that are additionally required by their untransformed counterparts for proliferation in monolayer culture. The SV3T3 cells are also rendered anchorage-independent for colony formation in serum-free medium by conditioned medium from dense monolayer serum-free SV3T3 cultures. These experiments suggest that it is the cell-substrate interaction that is responsible for the growth factor autonomy of fibronectin-attached transformed cells.     

Transgenic Rice Plants Produced by PEG-Mediated Plasmid Uptake into Protoplasts

Embryogenic cell suspension cultures were obtained from calli developed from mature rice seeds of a Japonica type Itahan cultivar, Roncarolo. Protoplasts were isolated and transformed by PEG-treated method with plasmid pHP23 carrying the NPT Ⅱ gene which encodes resistance to antibiotic G-418. Protoplast-derived colonies were selected in presence of the inhibitor. Plants were regenerated and transplanted into soil in the green house. The presence of foreign gene in the regenerated plants was verified by PCR and Southern analysis.     

沙打旺悬浮培养细胞原生质体的体细胞胚胎发生再生植株

Protoplasts from 4-day-old embryogenic cell suspension cultures of Astragalus adsurgens, when cultured in KM8P medium which ammonium concentration was reduced to 2.5 mmol/L and supplemented with 0.5 mg/L NAA, 1.0 mg/L 2, 4-D, 0.7 mg/L BA and 0.4 mol/L glucose, underwent cell sustained divisions and formed cell colonies at a frequency of 16%-20%. Preplasmolysis or low temperature treatment of suspension cells prior to enzyme incubation enhanced colony formation. Following proliferation on MS medium containing 1.0 mg/L 2, 4-D and 0.5 mg/L BA, cell colonies were cultured on MS medium containing 0.1 mg/L NAA and 1.0 mg/L BA, where approximately 40% of colonies produced somatic embryos ranging in number from 20 to 40 per colony. No significant decrease was found in the potential of somatic embryogenesis when protoplast colonies were obtained from long-term cell suspensions. On hormone-free 1/2 MS medium, somatic embryos developed into intact plants, which showed normal morphology and stable chromosome number.     

Hepatitis B surface antigen expression in NT-1 cells of tobacco using different expression cassettes

Nicotiana tabacum 1 (NT-1) cells were transformed with four different expression cassettes of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). The transformed nature of the cells was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The expression levels were assayed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expressivities varied among the different cassettes and the maximum expression of 16.6 ng g⁻¹(f.m.) of cells was noted in pEFEHER transformed cells. Salicylic acid (100 μM) treatment resulted in 1.8 fold increase of expression in pEFEHBS transformed cells. The effect of different concentrations of kanamycin and geneticin was studied on the growth of transformed cells and HBsAg expression. The cell growth was optimum at lower concentrations of the antibiotics, and the maximum expression was noted at 200 mg dm⁻³ of kanamycin.     

Plant regeneration from protoplasts of embryogenic suspension cultures of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.)

An embryogenic suspension culture of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) consisting of small, embryogenic cell clusters was obtained from callus formed on basal sections of young leaves through a process of selective enrichment. These suspensions were used as a source of protoplasts. The isolated protoplasts divided at a frequency of 0.5–10% when plated in an agarose solidified culture medium. Conditioned medium, in which embryogenic Dactylis suspension cultures had been grown, was found to increase the rate of cell colony formation. Protoplast-derived colonies grew rapidly in a bead-type culture system of floating agarose slabs in liquid medium. New suspension cultures formed as the colonies grew out of the agarose. These cultures were embryogenic and formed green plantlets when plated on a solid medium lacking auxin. The plantlets were established in soil and grown to mature plants.Abbreviations B5 medium according to Gamborg et al. (1968) - SH-x medium according to Schenk and Hildebrandt (1972) supplemented with x M dicamba - dicamba 3,6-dichloro-o-anisic acid - KM-8p medium 8p of Kao and Michayluk (1975)     

High-frequency stable transformation of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) by particle bombardment of embryogenic cell suspension cultures

Stable transformation of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) at a high frequency has been obtained by particle bombardment of embryogenic cell suspension cultures. Transient and stable expression of the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene was monitored in cell suspension cultures. Transient expression, measured 48 h after bombardment, was abundant, and stable expression was observed in over 4% of the transiently expressing cells. The high efficiency of stable expression is due to the multiple bombardment of rapidly dividing cell suspension cultures and the selection for transformed cells by gradually increasing the concentrations of the antibiotic Geneticin (G418). Southern analysis indicated a minimum transgene copy number of one to four in randomly selected plants. Fertile plants were obtained from transformed cell cultures less than 3 months old. However, transgenic and control plants from cell cultures older than 6 months produced plants with abnormal morphology and a high degree of sterility. Received: 20 January 1999 / Revision received: 1 October 1999 / Accepted: 11 October 1999     

A change in growth potential of cells after conversion by Rous sarcoma virus

Chick embryo cells transformed by Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) were able to grow in suspension, either as colonies when trapped in nutrient agar, or in spinner cultures using liquid medium. Two strains of RSV, RSV (RAV-1) and Schmidt-Ruppin RSV, were able to increase the ability of chick embryo cells to grow in suspension but Rous-associated virus (RAV-1) and polyoma virus were not. Cells growing in suspension supported high levels of RSV production and a simple method for propagating large amounts of virus is suggested. Suspended noninfected cells, which do not grow extensively, lose their ability to be infected by RSV, suggesting that cellular divisions must be in progress for successful infection by RSV.     

Co-expression of proteinase inhibitor enhances recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor production in transgenic rice cell suspension culture

The synthetic gene (sPI-II) harboring the chymotrypsin (C1) and trypsin (T1) inhibitor domains of the Nicotiana alata serine proteinase inhibitor II gene has been previously expressed, and extracellular protease activity was shown to be reduced in the suspension culture medium. In this study, the sPI-II gene was introduced into transgenic rice cells expressing rhGM-CSF (recombinant human granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor), in an effort to reduce protease activity and increase rhGM-CSF accumulation in the suspension culture medium. The integration and expression of the introduced sPI-II gene in the transgenic rice cells were verified via genomic DNA PCR amplification and Northern blot analysis, respectively. Relative protease activity was found to have been reduced and rhGM-CSF production was increased 2-fold in the co-transformed cell suspension culture with rhGM-CSF and the sPI-II gene, as compared with that observed in the transformed cell suspension culture expressing rhGM-CSF only. These results indicate that a transformed plant cell suspension culture system expressing the proteinase inhibitor can be a useful tool for increasing recombinant protein production.     

沙打旺悬浮培养细胞原生质体的体细胞胚胎发生再生植株(英文)

以继代培养5—24代的沙打旺(Astra-galus adsurgens Pall.)胚性悬浮系为材料,从生长4d的细胞培养物中可游离出大量有活力的原生质体。细胞预质壁分离或低温预处理对原生质体得率和活力没有影响,但可提高原生质体培养的植板率。预处理的原生质体培养在NH_4NO_3浓度降至2.5mmol/L,并附加0.5mg/L NAA、1.0mg/L 2,4-D、0.7mg/L BA和0.4mol/L葡萄糖的KM8P培养基中,经持续分裂形成细胞克隆,植板率高达16%—20%。细胞克隆在附加1.0mg/L 2,4-D和0.5mg/L BA的MS培养基中增殖后,转至含0.1mg/L NAA和1.0mg/L BA的MS分化培养基中可形成体细胞胚,平均体细胞胚发生频率约为40%,每个克隆产生20—40个体细胞胚。在无激素的1/2MS培养基中,体细胞胚发育成形态正常和染色体数稳定的小植株。     

Establishment of embryogenic cell suspension cultures and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in banana cv. ‘Dwarf Cavendish’ (Musa AAA): effect of spermidine on transformation efficiency

An efficient method has been developed for somatic embryogenesis, plant regeneration and transformation of the important banana cultivar ‘Dwarf Cavendish’ (Musa AAA). A high embryogenic response was obtained in 1.36 % of immature male flower explants. Once embryogenic structures were transferred to liquid medium, embryogenic cell suspensions (ECSs) with high regeneration capacity were obtained. ECSs were incubated under different conditions with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA101 harboring vector pFAJ3000 that contains pNos-nptII-tOcs and p35S-uidAintron-t35S expression cassettes. The effect of spermidine and infection time on transformation efficiency was examined. The highest efficiency was obtained when ECSs were infected for 6 h, in medium supplemented with 200 μM acetosyringone and 1.0 mM spermidine, with more than 600 independent lines/~50 mg FW of settled cells. Spermidine showed an enhancing effect, increasing significantly the transient Gus expression and the number of transformed embryo colonies and regenerated plants in comparison with the same treatments without this polyamine. This is the first report showing efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation using embryogenic cell suspension cultures in the ‘Dwarf Cavendish’ banana cultivar.     

Tracheary Element Formation from Single Isolated Cells in Culture

Friable callus tissue of Centaurea cyanus L. was grown on a solidified synthetic nutrient medium (EBM-1) to produce a tissue with a low frequency of differentiated tracheary elements. Tissues were then suspended in liquid nutrient medium with agitation to produce a suspension which was filtered and the single-cell suspension resulting was used as inoculum for either cell suspension cultures or for plating of cells into solidified medium in Petri plates. Media for the suspension cultures were selected to favor cytodifferentiation of tracheary elements. Differentiated tracheary elements formed as early as 10 days and numbers of tracheary elements increased with time roughly in relation to the increase in total cell number. From plating experiments it was shown conclusively that single isolated parenchyma cells differentiated directly into single isolated tracheary elements, although this event was rare. More usual was the division of isolated cells to form small colonies and then the differentiation of one, several or all of the cells into tracheary elements. Comparisons are made between results with cell plating experiments and cell suspension cultures. Optimism is expressed for finding a cell suspension culture system for studying cytodifferentiation.     

Establishment of embryogenic cell suspension cultures and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in an important Cavendish banana cv. Robusta (AAA)

Establishment of an efficient protocol for regeneration and genetic transformation is required in banana for the incorporation of useful traits. Therefore an efficient method has been developed for somatic embryogenesis, plant regeneration and transformation of Cavendish banana cultivar Robusta (AAA). Embryogenic cell suspension culture (ECS) was established using immature male flowers. Percentage appearance of embryogenic callus and distinct globular embryos was 10.3 and 11.1, respectively. ECS obtained was cocultivated under different cocultivation conditions with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA105 harboring pCAMBIA 1301 plant expression vector. Up to 30 transgenic plants/50 mg settled cell volume (SCV) was obtained with cocultivation in semisolid medium whereas no transgenics could be obtained with parallel experiments carried out in liquid medium. Histochemical GUS assay in different tissues of putatively transformed plants demonstrated expression of uidA gene. Among the putatively transformed plants obtained, a set of 4 were confirmed by PCR analysis and stable integration of the transgene by Southern analysis. GUS specific activity measured by a MUG (4-methylumbelliferyl-β-d-glucuronide) based flourometric assay revealed increase in transient GUS expression in semisolid as well as liquid cocultivation with centrifugation. This is the first report showing somatic embryogenesis and Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation using embryogenic cell suspension cultures in an important Cavendish banana cultivar Robusta. The present protocol will make possible agronomic improvement of this important commercially grown cultivar by introduction of disease resistance characteristics and antisense-mediated delayed fruit ripening strategies. Further, it will also assist in functional characterization of new gene or promoter elements isolated from this or other cultivars of banana.