Intein-mediated protein trans-splicing and transgene containment in plastids

• Published in: Trends in biotechnology (Regular ed.) Vol. 23; no. 5; pp. 217 - 220
• Main Authors: Khan, Muhammad Sarwar, Khalid, Ahmad M., Malik, Kauser A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2005; Elsevier Science; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; chloroplast DNA; Chloroplasts; Containment; Cultivated plants; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene expression; gene transfer; Genetic engineering; Genetic technics; genetic transformation; Genomes; intein-mediated protein trans-splicing; Inteins - genetics; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Mitochondrial DNA; Plant species; plants; Plants, Genetically Modified - genetics; Plastids; Plastids - genetics; post-translational modification; Protein Splicing - genetics; Proteins; recombinant proteins; Risk reduction; transgenes; Transgenes - genetics; Transgenic animals and transgenic plants; Transgenic plants; Yeast; Transgenic plant; Plastid; Splicing; Chloroplast; Protein
• ISSN: 0167-7799; 1879-3096
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2005.03.006

Transgenes in plastids are contained by stringent maternal inheritance in most cultivated plant species and their expression yields high levels of protein with bona fide structure. Nevertheless, transfer of plastid genes to the nucleus has been reported, with implications for transgene containment. The significance of these transfers will depend on the likelihood that they will become functional nuclear genes. Recently a novel approach, intein-mediated protein trans-splicing, has been demonstrated promising to yield transgenic plants with greatly reduced risk of genetic outcrossing.