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Title: Retention of the ability to synthesize HIV-1 and HBV antigens in generations of tomato plants transgenic for the TBI-HBS gene

Author
item SALYAEV, R - Russian Academy Of Sciences
item REKOSLAVSKAYA, N - Russian Academy Of Sciences
item STOLBIKOV, A - Russian Academy Of Sciences
item Hammond, Rosemarie
item SHCHELKUNOV, S - Russian Academy Of Sciences

Submitted to: Doklady Biochemistry and Biophysics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/26/2009
Publication Date: 4/1/2009
Citation: Salyaev, R.K., Rekoslavskaya, N.I., Stolbikov, A.S., Hammond, R., Shchelkunov, S.N. 2009. Retention of the ability to synthesize HIV-1 and HBV antigens in generations of tomato plants transgenic for the TBI-HBS gene. Doklady Biochemistry and Biophysics. 425:120-123.

Interpretive Summary: A critical need exists for the development of safe and effective vaccines for Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV). Gene encoding viral proteins identified as potential candidates as HIV and HBV vaccines were inserted into tomato such that the resulting tomato fruit contained the vaccine proteins. The current work was performed to investigate the stability of the inserted genes and synthesized viral proteins in tomato fruit over a series of generations of transgenic tomato plants. The results demonstrated that high levels of expression of HIV and HBV viral proteins were maintained through at least six generations in both green and red tomato fruits, suggesting that it will be possible to use the transgenic tomato fruits for vaccine production in subsequent generations without additional transformation and selection. The report will be of interest to an international audience of researchers, clinicians, and representatives of industry, academia, and government organizations with an interest in plant-based systems for production of recombinant medicines for and human and animal health.

Technical Abstract: In development of new types of edible vaccines on the basis of transgenic plants, the ability of the latter to retain the synthesis of foreign antibodies in a series of generations is of great importance. For this purpose, the goal of this study was to investigate the ability of transgenic tomato plants to produce the antigenic polyepitope protein consisting of nine protective epitopes of HIV-1 and the surface antigen of hepatitis B virus (HBV), HBsAg, encoded by the synthetic gene TBI-HBS. This was the first work to demonstrate that the synthesis of antigenic proteins HBsAg (HBV) and p24 (HIV-1) was retained in six generations (T0, T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, and T6 (p24 was not determined in T6)) at a sufficiently high level, which testifies to stability of transformation and will make it possible to use the transgenic plants in a series of generations without additional time and material expenditures for their transformation and selection.