Transgenic tomatoes expressing human beta-amyloid for use as a vaccine against Alzheimer's disease

• Published in: Biotechnology letters Vol. 30; no. 10; pp. 1839 - 1845
• Main Authors: Youm, Jung Won, Jeon, Jae Heung, Kim, Hee, Kim, Young Ho, Ko, Kisung, Joung, Hyouk, Kim, HyunSoon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.10.2008; Springer Netherlands; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alzheimer Disease - immunology; Alzheimer Disease - prevention & control; Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides - genetics; Amyloid beta-Peptides - immunology; Animals; Applied Microbiology; Base Sequence; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Blotting, Northern; Blotting, Southern; DNA Primers; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Immune response; Immunization; Life Sciences; Lycopersicon esculentum; Lycopersicon esculentum - genetics; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microbiology; Original Research Paper; Plants, Genetically Modified - genetics; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Tomatoes; Transgenic plants; Vaccines; Vaccines, Synthetic - immunology; Edible vaccine; Tomato-derived beta amyloid; Alzheimer’s disease; Immunogenicity; Human; Alzheimer disease; Amyloid; Transgenic plant; Vaccine; Alzheimer's disease
• ISSN: 0141-5492; 1573-6776
• DOI: 10.1007/s10529-008-9759-5

Human β-amyloid (Aβ) is believed to be one of the main components of Alzheimer's disease, so reduction of Aβ is considered a key therapeutic target. Using Agrobacterium-mediated nuclear transformation, we generated transgenic tomatoes for Aβ with tandem repeats. Integration of the human Aβ gene into the tomato genome and its transcription were detected by PCR and Northern blot, respectively. Expression of the Aβ protein was confirmed by western blot and ELISA, and then the transgenic tomato line expressing the highest protein level was selected for vaccination. Mice immunized orally with total soluble extracts from the transgenic tomato plants elicited an immune response after receiving a booster. The results indicate that tomato plants may provide a useful system for the production of human Aβ antigen.