Open AccessNeutralizing antibodies against rotavirus produced in transgenically labelled purple tomatoes
Author(s) -
Juárez Paloma,
Presa Silvia,
Espí Joaquín,
Pineda Benito,
Antón María T.,
Moreno Vicente,
Buesa Javier,
Granell Antonio,
Orzaez Diego
Publication year - 2012
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.1467-7652.2011.00666.x
Subject(s) - genetically modified tomato , antirrhinum majus , biology , rotavirus , recombinant dna , virus , transgene , antibody , virology , neutralization , genetically modified crops , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , biochemistry , genetics
Summary Edible fruits are inexpensive biofactories for human health‐promoting molecules that can be ingested as crude extracts or partially purified formulations. We show here the production of a model human antibody for passive protection against the enteric pathogen rotavirus in transgenically labelled tomato fruits. Transgenic tomato plants expressing a recombinant human immunoglobulin A (hIgA_2A1) selected against the VP8* peptide of rotavirus SA11 strain were obtained. The amount of hIgA_2A1 protein reached 3.6 ± 0.8% of the total soluble protein in the fruit of the transformed plants. Minimally processed fruit‐derived products suitable for oral intake showed anti‐VP8* binding activity and strongly inhibited virus infection in an in vitro virus neutralization assay. In order to make tomatoes expressing hIgA_2A1 easily distinguishable from wild‐type tomatoes, lines expressing hIgA_2A1 transgenes were sexually crossed with a transgenic tomato line expressing the genes encoding Antirrhinum majus Rosea1 and Delila transcription factors, which confer purple colour to the fruit. Consequently, transgenically labelled purple tomato fruits expressing hIgA_2A1 have been developed. The resulting purple‐coloured extracts from these fruits contain high levels of recombinant anti‐rotavirus neutralizing human IgA in combination with increased amounts of health‐promoting anthocyanins.