Transgene-induced pleiotropic effects in transplastomic plants

• Published in: Biotechnology letters Vol. 36; no. 2; pp. 229 - 239
• Main Authors: Scotti, N, Cardi, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer-Verlag 01.02.2014; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Applied Microbiology; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Chloroplasts; Chloroplasts - genetics; Chloroplasts - metabolism; Containment; Genetic transformation; Genomes; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Mutagenesis; Nuclear transformations; Plant Development; Plant growth; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Plants (organisms); Plants, Genetically Modified - genetics; Plants, Genetically Modified - metabolism; plastid DNA; Plastids; Proteins; Recombinant; recombinant proteins; Recombinant Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Proteins - metabolism; Review; Studies; Transformations; Transgenes; Transgenic plants; Italy; Mutant phenotypes; Plastid transformation; Chloroplasts; Pleiotropic effects; Recombinant proteins
• ISSN: 0141-5492; 1573-6776
• DOI: 10.1007/s10529-013-1356-6

Since the first demonstration of stable transgene integration in the plastid genome (plastome) of higher plants, plastid transformation has been used for a wide range of purposes, including basic studies as well as biotechnological applications, showing that transplastomic plants are an effective system to produce recombinant proteins. Compared to nuclear transformation, the main advantages of this technology are the high and stable production level of proteins as well as the natural containment of transgenes. To date, more than 100 transgenes have been successfully expressed in plant chloroplasts. In some cases, however, unintended pleiotropic effects on plant growth and physiology were shown in transplastomic plants. In this paper, we review such effects and discuss some of the technologies developed to overcome them.