Transgenic plants as bioreactors for the production of substances of medicinal and veterinary importance

Abstract

The use of plants as bioreactors has become of a great importance in the modern biotechnology. The transgenic plants are capable of synthesizing of many substances, including valuable pharmaceuticals. Plants possess a number of advantages compared to conventional bioreactors - microorganisms and animal cell cultures. The product safety and lower production costs are among them. One of the promising directions in plant biotechnology is the creation of “edible vaccines, plantibodies and adjuvants” based on recombinant antigens, immunoglobulins and immunoregulatory cytokines. Edible bioreactor plants can be administered as food and feed additives in medicine and veterinary avoiding expensive purification procedures. Interferons have antiviral, antibacterial, antitumor and immunomodulatory activity, and are implicated in the prophylaxis and therapy of diseases of different etiologies. Investigations concerning with obtaining of bioreactor plants synthesizing γ-interferons of mammals and birds are carried out in the laboratory of genetic and cellular engineering of plants St. Petersburg State University. Our recent achievements in the creation of inbreed tobacco line producing bovine γ-interferon are described.

AGRICULTURAL MICROBIOLOGY AND SYMBIOGENETICS: SYNTHESIS OF CLASSICAL IDEAS AND CONSTRUCTION OF HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE AGROCENOSES (review)

“…В применении к растениям оно включает: совершенствование природных (клубеньковых, эндофитных, эпифитных) симбиозов, направленное на создание микробных препаратов, замещающих экологически опасные агрохимикаты. Также обсуждается конструирование новых биосистем, включая трансгенные растения, способные синтезировать метаболиты, используемые в качестве съедобных вакцин (52).…”