Open AccessProduction of cyanophycin, a suitable source for the biodegradable polymer polyaspartate, in transgenic plants
Author(s) -
Neumann Katrin,
Stephan Dirk Paul,
Ziegler Karl,
Hühns Maja,
Broer Inge,
Lockau Wolfgang,
Pistorius Elfriede K.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
plant biotechnology journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.525
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1467-7652
pISSN - 1467-7644
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-7652.2005.00122.x
Subject(s) - biology , transgene , production (economics) , genetically modified crops , microbiology and biotechnology , computational biology , botany , gene , biochemistry , economics , macroeconomics
Summary The production of biodegradable polymers in transgenic plants in order to replace petrochemical compounds is an important challenge for plant biotechnology. Polyaspartate, a biodegradable substitute for polycarboxylates, is the backbone of the cyanobacterial storage material cyanophycin. Cyanophycin, a copolymer of l ‐aspartic acid and l ‐arginine, is produced via non‐ribosomal polypeptide biosynthesis by the enzyme cyanophycin synthetase. A gene from Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP‐1 encoding cyanophycin synthetase has been expressed constitutively in tobacco and potato. The presence of the transgene‐encoded messenger RNA (mRNA) correlated with changes in leaf morphology and decelerated growth. Such transgenic plants were found to produce up to 1.1% dry weight of a polymer with cyanophycin‐like properties. Aggregated material, able to bind a specific cyanophycin antibody, was detected in the cytoplasm and the nucleus of the transgenic plants.