Improved Recombinant Protein Production

Tech ID: 11361 / UC Case 1993-185-0

Full Description

While ease of genetic manipulation has traditionally favored the use of bacteria for commercial-scale production of recombinant proteins, differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes in their post-translational protein processing and the difficulties of recovering and purifying proteins from bacteria has spurred interest in using plants as an alternative. However, the high cost and low yield of recombinant proteins produced in plants, and, in some systems, the further difficulties with post-translational protein processing, contamination, and/or purification have slowed the progress of producing therapeutic and other beneficial proteins in plants.

Researchers working at the University of California have developed a family of inventions that offer commercially-viable plant systems for the expression, secretion, and recovery of recombinant proteins. In contrast to previously-used plant systems, the UC systems employ alpha amylase promoters and signal peptide sequences that allow for more precise control of expression and much higher ultimate yields. These UC inventions include:

Rice DNA sequences that can be used for metabolically-regulated or hormonally-regulated recombinant protein expression and secretion from germinating seeds;
Additional rice DNA sequences that allow for regulated recombinant protein expression in plant cells in response to sugar depletion or deprivation;
Rice signal peptide DNA sequences that can be used for secretion of recombinant proteins from monocotyledonous plants and cell cultures; and
Sugar-beet DNA sequences that can be used for expression of recombinant proteins in dicotyledonous plants and cell cultures.

Additional Patented Technologies from this Inventor

UC Case No. 1998-287, "DNA Sequences Capable of Expressing Foreign Proteins and Metabolites in Dicotyledonous Plants and Cell Culture"

U.S. Patent 7,045,681 issued on 16 May, 2006

UC Case No. 1997-229, "Sugar-Regulatory Sequences in Alpha-Amylase Genes"

U.S. Patent 6,919,493 issued on 19 Jul, 2005
U.S. Patent 6,680,425 issued on 20 Jan, 2004
U.S. Patent 6,048,973 issued on 11 Apr, 2000

UC Case No. 2002-416, "Production of Mature Proteins in Plants"

U.S. Patent 6,066,781 issued on 23 May, 2000

Suggested uses

The DNA sequences of these inventions will likely find wide application in the high-yield expression and/or secretion of recombinant eukaryotic proteins from plants, and may be particularly valuable as an alternative to bacterial and mammalian cell culture systems in the production of commercially-important therapeutic proteins.

Features/Benefits

Alpha amylase promoters offer regulated, high-yield protein expression in plant cells;
Proteins can be secreted either from germinating seeds or from cells present in a culture medium;
Recombinant protein production using these inventions offers significantly lower fermentation and recovery costs as compared to mammalian cell cultures;
Production of recombinant proteins in monocotyledonous cell culture is a closed and highly contained system; and
Recombinant protein products are correctly glycosylated and do not display many of the other post-translational processing and contamination problems that plague other protein expression systems.

Patent Status

Country	Type	Number	Dated	Case
United States Of America	Issued Patent	5,693,506	12/02/1997	1993-185

Inventors

Rodriguez, Raymond L.

Other Information

Categorized As

Related cases

1993-185-0, 2002-416-1, 2002-416-2, 1998-287-1, 1997-229-1, 1997-229-2, 1997-229-3, 1997-229-4

Related Technologies

Contact

Randi L. Jenkins / rljenkins@ucdavis.edu / tel: View Phone Number. Please reference Tech ID #11361.

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