Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE B
ISSN 1673-1581(Print), 1862-1783(Online), Monthly

2008   Vol. 9   No. 5   p. 351~355

Transient expression of chicken alpha interferon gene in lettuce

Li SONG^1,2, De-gang ZHAO^†‡1,3, Yong-jun WU³, Yi LI⁴

(¹Guizhou Key Laboratory of Ago-Bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China)
(²Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Ago-Bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China)
(³College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China)
(⁴Department of Plant Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA)
^‡ Corresponding Author
^†E-mail: dgzhao@gzu.edu.cn
Received Nov. 20, 2007; revision accepted Mar. 18, 2008

Abstract: We investigated the possibility of producing chicken alpha interferon (ChIFN-α) in transgenic plants. The cDNA encoding ChIFN-α was introduced into lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) plants by using an agro-infiltration transient expression system. The ChIFN-α gene was correctly transcribed and translated in the lettuce plants according to RT-PCR and ELISA assays. Recombinant protein exhibited antiviral activity in vitro by inhibition of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) replication on chicken embryonic fibroblast (CEF). The results demonstrate that biologically active avian cytokine with potential pharmaceutical applications could be expressed in transgenic lettuce plants and that it is possible to generate interferon protein in forage plants for preventing infectious diseases of poultry.

Key words: Chicken alpha interferon (ChIFN-α), Expression, Transgenic lettuce, Bioactivity
doi:10.1631/jzus.B0710596             CLC number: TQ464

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