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Transgenic Plants and Applications
Research Guide
What is Transgenic Plants and Applications?
Transgenic plants are higher plants genetically modified by the insertion of foreign genes to express desired traits, with applications including the production of recombinant pharmaceutical proteins, vaccine antigens, and use as plant bioreactors for biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
Research on transgenic plants encompasses 39,735 works focused on techniques like transient expression and glycosylation engineering for producing biopharmaceuticals in plants. These methods enable plant molecular farming as a platform for vaccine antigens and oral immunization. The field utilizes plant bioreactors to achieve cost-effective pharmaceutical production.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Plant Molecular Farming for Biopharmaceuticals
This sub-topic covers the expression of therapeutic proteins like antibodies and enzymes in transgenic plants as cost-effective bioreactors. Researchers optimize yields, purification, and scalability for clinical applications.
Glycosylation Engineering in Transgenic Plants
This sub-topic engineers plant N-glycosylation pathways to produce human-like glycoproteins compatible with mammalian therapeutics. Researchers modify glycosyltransferases and analyze glycan structures for immunogenicity.
Transient Expression Systems in Plants
This sub-topic develops viral vectors and agroinfiltration for rapid, high-level protein production without stable transgenics. Researchers compare Nicotiana and other hosts for vaccine and diagnostic antigen yields.
Plant-Based Vaccine Antigen Production
This sub-topic focuses on edible plant expression of viral and bacterial antigens for oral vaccines. Researchers assess immunogenicity, stability, and mucosal delivery in animal models.
Oral Immunization Using Plant Bioreactors
This sub-topic explores whole-plant or seed-based delivery of antigens for mucosal immunity against pathogens. Researchers study gut uptake, tolerance induction, and herd immunity potential.
Why It Matters
Transgenic plants serve as scalable platforms for manufacturing recombinant proteins, offering advantages in cost and safety over traditional systems. Horsch et al. (1985) in "A Simple and General Method for Transferring Genes into Plants" enabled transformation of petunia, tobacco, and tomato plants using Agrobacterium tumefaciens, establishing a foundational technique applied in over 4,719 citations for generating plants expressing foreign genes. Hiei et al. (1994) in "Efficient transformation of rice (Oryza sativa L.) mediated by Agrobacterium and sequence analysis of the boundaries of the T‐DNA" produced fertile transgenic rice plants with high efficiency comparable to dicotyledons, facilitating applications in staple crops for biopharmaceutical production and disease resistance. Jefferson et al. (1987) in "GUS fusions: beta-glucuronidase as a sensitive and versatile gene fusion marker in higher plants" provided a reporter system used in 9,868 cited works to monitor gene expression, supporting development of plants for oral vaccines and protein therapeutics.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"GUS fusions: beta-glucuronidase as a sensitive and versatile gene fusion marker in higher plants" by Jefferson et al. (1987), as it provides a foundational reporter system for monitoring gene expression and transformation success in any transgenic plant study.
Key Papers Explained
Jefferson et al. (1987) "GUS fusions: beta-glucuronidase as a sensitive and versatile gene fusion marker in higher plants" established a reporter for tracking transgenes, cited in 9,868 works. Horsch et al. (1985) "A Simple and General Method for Transferring Genes into Plants" built on this by demonstrating Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of dicots like tobacco. Hiei et al. (1994) "Efficient transformation of rice (Oryza sativa L.) mediated by Agrobacterium and sequence analysis of the boundaries of the T‐DNA" extended the method to monocots, verifying T-DNA integration for fertile rice plants.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Research centers on glycosylation engineering and transient expression for recombinant biopharmaceuticals in plant molecular farming, as per the 39,735 works. No recent preprints or news available, indicating consolidation of Agrobacterium protocols from Hiei et al. (1994) and protein folding insights from Walter and Ron (2011).
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GUS fusions: beta-glucuronidase as a sensitive and versatile g... | 1987 | The EMBO Journal | 9.9K | ✓ |
| 2 | The Unfolded Protein Response: From Stress Pathway to Homeosta... | 2011 | Science | 5.8K | ✕ |
| 3 | Characteristics of the Microplate Method of Enzyme-Linked Immu... | 1977 | Journal of General Vir... | 4.8K | ✕ |
| 4 | A Simple and General Method for Transferring Genes into Plants | 1985 | Science | 4.7K | ✕ |
| 5 | KEGG: integrating viruses and cellular organisms | 2020 | Nucleic Acids Research | 4.4K | ✓ |
| 6 | Une micro-méthode de l’immuno-électrophorèse | 1955 | International Archives... | 3.8K | ✕ |
| 7 | Efficient transformation of rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.) medi... | 1994 | The Plant Journal | 3.5K | ✓ |
| 8 | Current Status of the Gene-For-Gene Concept | 1971 | Annual Review of Phyto... | 3.1K | ✕ |
| 9 | Somaclonal variation — a novel source of variability from cell... | 1981 | Theoretical and Applie... | 3.0K | ✕ |
| 10 | A One Pot, One Step, Precision Cloning Method with High Throug... | 2008 | PLoS ONE | 2.5K | ✓ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What methods are used to create transgenic plants?
Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediates gene transfer into plants, as shown by Horsch et al. (1985) who transformed petunia, tobacco, and tomato via leaf disk inoculation with a modified plasmid. Hiei et al. (1994) extended this to rice, achieving efficient transformation of Oryza sativa tissues with sequence-verified T-DNA boundaries. These methods produce morphologically normal, fertile transgenic plants.
How is gene expression monitored in transgenic plants?
Beta-glucuronidase (GUS) serves as a sensitive gene fusion marker in higher plants, enabling versatile detection of promoter activity and transformation success. Jefferson et al. (1987) demonstrated GUS fusions for tracking gene expression in plant tissues. This system has been cited 9,868 times for its reliability in transgenic applications.
What are applications of transgenic plants in biotechnology?
Transgenic plants produce recombinant pharmaceutical proteins, vaccine antigens, and support oral immunization via plant bioreactors. Techniques include transient expression and glycosylation engineering for molecular farming. The field totals 39,735 papers on cost-effective biopharmaceutical production.
What is the role of Agrobacterium in plant transformation?
Agrobacterium tumefaciens transfers T-DNA into plant cells, enabling stable gene integration. Horsch et al. (1985) used surface-sterilized leaf disks inoculated with modified strains to regenerate transformed plants. Hiei et al. (1994) confirmed T-DNA boundaries in efficiently transformed rice.
How does the unfolded protein response relate to transgenic plants?
The unfolded protein response (UPR) regulates protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum, critical for recombinant protein production in transgenic plants. Walter and Ron (2011) described UPR as a homeostatic pathway ensuring fidelity in secreted protein assembly. This process impacts yields of biopharmaceuticals in plant expression systems.
What is the current scope of transgenic plant research?
The field includes 39,735 works on plant molecular farming for biopharmaceuticals and vaccine antigens. Key techniques cover glycosylation engineering and transient expression. Applications emphasize plant bioreactors for scalable pharmaceutical production.
Open Research Questions
- ? How can glycosylation engineering in transgenic plants be optimized to match human protein glycosylation patterns for biopharmaceutical efficacy?
- ? What limits the efficiency of transient expression systems in diverse plant species for large-scale recombinant protein production?
- ? How does the unfolded protein response in plants respond to high-level expression of foreign vaccine antigens, and can it be engineered for improved yields?
- ? Which T-DNA boundary sequences maximize stable integration and expression in monocot crops like rice without somaclonal variation?
- ? Can plant bioreactors achieve cost parity with microbial systems for oral immunization vaccines while ensuring antigen stability?
Recent Trends
The field maintains 39,735 works with no specified 5-year growth rate, reflecting sustained focus on plant molecular farming for biopharmaceuticals.
High-citation classics like Jefferson et al. with 9,868 citations continue to underpin transient expression and reporter systems.
1987No recent preprints or news indicate stable reliance on established Agrobacterium methods from Horsch et al. and Hiei et al. (1994).
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