Effects of plant density on recombinant hemagglutinin yields in an Agrobacterium‐mediated transient gene expression system using Nicotiana benthamiana plants
Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 2017•Wiley Online Library
Agrobacterium‐mediated transient expression systems enable plants to rapidly produce a
wide range of recombinant proteins. To achieve economically feasible upstream production
and downstream processing, it is beneficial to obtain high levels of two yield‐related
quantities of upstream production: recombinant protein content per fresh mass of harvested
biomass (g gFM− 1) and recombinant protein productivity per unit area‐time (gm− 2/month).
Here, we report that the density of Nicotiana benthamiana plants during upstream …
wide range of recombinant proteins. To achieve economically feasible upstream production
and downstream processing, it is beneficial to obtain high levels of two yield‐related
quantities of upstream production: recombinant protein content per fresh mass of harvested
biomass (g gFM− 1) and recombinant protein productivity per unit area‐time (gm− 2/month).
Here, we report that the density of Nicotiana benthamiana plants during upstream …
Abstract
Agrobacterium‐mediated transient expression systems enable plants to rapidly produce a wide range of recombinant proteins. To achieve economically feasible upstream production and downstream processing, it is beneficial to obtain high levels of two yield‐related quantities of upstream production: recombinant protein content per fresh mass of harvested biomass (g gFM−1) and recombinant protein productivity per unit area‐time (g m−2/month). Here, we report that the density of Nicotiana benthamiana plants during upstream production had significant impacts on the yield‐related quantities of recombinant hemagglutinin (HA). The two quantities were smaller at a high plant density of 400 plants m−2 than at a low plant density of 100 plants m−2. The smaller quantities at the high plant density were attributed to: (i) a lower HA content in young leaves, which usually have high HA accumulation potentials; (ii) a lower biomass allocation to the young leaves; and (iii) a high area‐time requirement for plants. Thus, plant density is a key factor for improving upstream production in Agrobacterium‐mediated transient expression systems. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1762–1770. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.