E and M SARS‐CoV‐2 membrane protein expression and enrichment with plant lipid droplets

Abstract: Plants are gaining traction as a cost‐effective and scalable platform for producing recombinant proteins. However, expressing integral membrane proteins in plants is challenging due to their hydrophobic nature. In our study, we used transient and stable expression systems in Nicotiana benthamiana and Camelina sativa respectively to express SARS‐CoV‐2 E and M integral proteins, and target them to lipid droplets (LDs). LDs offer an ideal environment for folding hydrophobic proteins and aid in their purification through flotation. We tested various protein fusions with different linkers and tags and used three dimensional structure predictions to assess their effects. E and M mostly localized in the ER in N. benthamiana leaves but E could be targeted to LDs in oil accumulating tobacco when fused with oleosin, a LD integral protein. In Camelina sativa seeds, E and M were however found associated with purified LDs. By enhancing the accumulation of E and M within LDs through oleosin, we enriched these proteins in the purified floating fraction. This strategy provides an alternative approach for efficiently producing and purifying hydrophobic pharmaceuticals and vaccines using plant systems.

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• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: E and M SARS‐CoV‐2 membrane protein expression and enrichment with plant lipid droplets ; volume:19 ; number:2 ; year:2024 ; extent:12 ; Biotechnology journal ; 19, Heft 2 (2024) (gesamt 12)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Gissot, Lionel ; Fontaine, Florent ; Kelemen, Zsolt ; Dao, Ousmane ; Bouchez, Isabelle ; Deruyffelaere, Carine ; Winkler, Michèle ; Costa, Anais Da ; Pierre, Fabienne ; Meziadi, Chouaib ; Faure, Jean‐Denis ; Froissard, Marine

Further information

• DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300512
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2024022114463720611299
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.