Viral vector gene transfer - plant viruses as a vector for gene transfer

plant biotechnology, biotechnological tools, indirect gene transfer, vector mediated gene transfer, viral vector, DNA viral vector and RNA vector

1. Plant viruses as a Vectors Dr. P. Nithiya Assistant Professor, Department of Botany, Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College, Tiruchirappalli

2. Plant expression vectors are mainly based on the Ti plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens . Plant viruses are also used as expression vectors DNA Vectors Cauliflower mosaic virus (CMV) Gemini viruses Mastreviruses Be g om o vir u ses RNA Vectors Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) Brome mosaic virus (BMV) Hordeiviruses Potexviruses Comoviruses

3. Expression vector An expression vector , is usually a plasmid or virus designed for gene expression in cells. The vector is used to introduce a specific gene into a target cell, and can commandeer the cell's mechanism for protein synthesis to produce the protein encoded by the gene. Expression vectors are the basic tools in biotechnology for the production of proteins.

4. The vector is engineered to contain regulatory sequences that act as enhancer and promoter regions and lead to efficient transcription of the gene carried on the expression vector. The goal of a well-designed expression vector is the efficient production of protein, and this may be achieved by the production of significant amount of stable messenger RNA, which can then be translated into protein. The expression of a protein may be tightly controlled, and the protein is only produced in significant quantity when necessary through the use of an inducer, in some systems however the protein may be expressed constitutively.

5. Viruses as a vector Using the DNA virus as a vector, it may be possible to insert the foreign DNA into the viral genome. Since the foreign DNA in association with viral DNA can be incorporated safely in the nucleus of the recipient cell. So , DNA viruses are more or less suitable vectors for gene transfer.

6. Plant viruses are non-integrative vectors : The plant viruses do not integrate into the host genome in contrast to the vectors based on T-DNA of A. tumefaciens which are integrative . The viral genomes are suitably modified by introducing desired foreign genes. These recombinant viruses are transferred, multiplied and expressed in plant cells. They spread systemically within the host plant where the new genetic material is expressed.

7. Caulimoviruses as Vectors : The caulimoviruses contain circular double- stranded DNA, and are spherical in shape. Caulimoviruses are widely distributed and are responsible for a number of economically important diseases in various crops . The caulimovirus group has around 15 viruses and among these cauliflower mosaic virus ( CaMV ) is the most important for gene transfer. The other caulimoviruses include carnation etched virus, dahlia mosaic virus, mirabilis mosaic virus and strawberry vein banding virus.

8. Cauliflower mosaic virus ( CaMV ): CaMV infects many plants (e.g. members of Cruciferae , Datura ) and can be easily transmitted, even mechanically. Another attractive feature of CaMV is that the infection is systemic, and large quantities of viruses are found in infected cells. A diagrammatic view of the CaMV genetic map is depicted. The genome of CaMV consists of a 8 kb (8024 bp ) relaxed but tightly packed circular DNA with six major and two minor coding regions. The genes II and VII are not essential for viral infection.

9. Caulimoviruses

10. Use of CaMV in gene transfer : For appropriate transmission of CaMV , the foreign DNA must be encapsulated in viral protein. Further , the newly inserted foreign DNA must not interfere with the native assembly of the virus. CaMV genome does not contain any non-coding regions wherein foreign DNA can be inserted. It is fortunate that two genes namely gene II and gene VII have no essential functions for the virus. It is therefore possible to replace one of them and insert the desired foreign gene. Gene II of CaMV has been successfully replaced with a bacterial gene encoding dihydrofolate reductase that provides resistance to methotrexate . When the chimeric CaMV was transmitted to turnip plants, they were systemically infected and the plants developed resistance to methotrexate.

11. Limitations of CaMV as a vector: i . CaMV vector has a limited capacity for insertion of foreign genes. ii. Infective capacity of CaMV is lost if more than a few hundred nucleotides are introduced. iii. Helper viruses cannot be used since the foreign DNA gets expelled and wild-type viruses are produced.

12. Gemini Viruses as Vectors: The Gemini viruses are so named because they have geminate (Gemini literally means heavenly twins) morphological particles i.e. twin and paired capsid structures. These viruses are characterized by possessing one or two single-stranded circular DNAs ( ss DNA). On replications, ss DNA forms an intermediate double-stranded DNA. The Gemini viruses can infect a wide range of crop plants (monocotyledons and dicotyledons) which attract plant biotechnologists to employ these viruses for gene transfer. Curly top virus (CTV) and maize streak virus (MSV) and bean golden mosaic virus (BGMV) are among the important Gemini viruses.

13. Gemini virus

14. Gemini virus It has been observed that a large number of replicative forms of a Gemini virus genome accumulate inside the nuclei of infected cells. The single-stranded genomic DNA replicates in the nucleus to form a double-stranded intermediate. Gemini virus vectors can be used to deliver, amplify and express foreign genes in several plants/ explants (protoplasts, cultured cells ). However, the serious drawback in employing Gemini viruses as vectors is that it is very difficult to introduce purified viral DNA into the plants . An alternate arrangement is to take the help of Agrobacterium and carry out gene transfer.

15. RNA Plant Viruses as Vectors: There are mainly two type’s single-stranded RNA viruses : 1. Mono-partite viruses : 2. Multipartite viruses:

16. 1. Mono-partite viruses: These viruses are usually large and contain undivided genomes for all the genetic information e.g. tobacco mosaic virus (TMV).

17. 2. Multipartite viruses: The genome in these viruses is divided into small RNAs which may be in the same particle or different particles, e.g. brome mosaic virus (BMV ). HMV contains four RNAs divided between three particles. Plant RNA viruses, in general, are characterized by high level of gene expression, good efficiency to infect cells and spread to different tissues . But the major limitation to use them as vectors is the difficulty of joining RNA molecules in vitro .

18. Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) TMV have single-stranded RNA genome which also serves as mRNA. It encodes at least four proteins in three open reading frames. Its genome contains 4 genes, of these the coat protein ( cp ) gene seems to be nonessential and can be site of integration of transgene. Viral RNA promoters are successfully manipulated for the synthesis of recombinant messenger RNAs in whole plants. This vector consist of two steps, first, is the use of cDNA copy of viral genome for cloning in E. coli and, second, is in vitro transcription of the recombinant viral genome cDNA to produce infectious RNA copies to be used for plant infection.

19. TMV Icon Genetics, a biotechnology company based in Germany, developed a technique for transfecting plants with these recombinant virus vector modules, known as Magnifection . Magnifection combines agro infiltration with the delivery of a deconstructed vector that lacks the ability to spread to other plants. A deconstructed TMV vector has been employed to generate Human papillomavirus HPV E7 protein and Norwalk virus-like particles (VLPs) in plants as well as the Influenza M2e epitope in plants. Foreign protein expression in TMV infected plants can also be enhanced significantly through the coexpression of the RNA silencing suppressor gene P19 of the Tomato bushy stunt virus. The recent discovery of adjuvant properties of TMV has sparked a renewed interest in the use of this virus as a delivery vehicle for immunotherapy. TMV particles have been demonstrated to be taken up by dendritic cells and to exhibit activation properties, resulting in robust CD8+ T cell responses

20. Potex Virus Potato virus X (PVX) is a plant pathogenic virus of the family Alphaflexiviridae and the order Tymovirales . It is the type species of the genus Potexvirus . PVX is found mainly in potatoes and is only transmitted mechanically. There are no insect or fungal vectors for this virus. This virus causes mild or no symptoms in most potato varieties, but when Potato virus Y is present, synergy between these two viruses causes severe symptoms in potatoes.

21. Potex Virus The virion has helical symmetry and a deeply grooved, highly hydrated surface and is made of a single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome of approximately 6.4 kb. This is wrapped in approximately 1300 units of a single coat protein (CP) type, with 8.9 CP units per helix turn. The genome is capped at the 5′-end and poly- adenylated at the 3′-terminus. It contains five open reading frames (ORFs) encoding five proteins: the RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase ( RdRP ), the movement proteins encoded by three overlapping ORFs that form the Triple Gene Block module (TGBp1, TGBp2, and TGBp3), and the CP (coat protein).

22. Potex viruses as a vector Potato Virus X (PVX), a flexuous, rod-shaped virus containing a plus-sense RNA molecule, has also been engineered extensively as an expression vector for biopharmaceuticals. The genome of PVX consists of replicase and capsid protein genes, as well as a triple gene block, whose products are responsible for virus movement. PVX has been used to express full-length proteins, fusion proteins, epitopes that are displayed on the outer surface of the assembled virus particle, and more recently, PVX nanoparticles have been demonstrated to block tumour progression in animal models .

23. Potex Virus PVX has been employed for the development of a universal influenza vaccine consisting of an epitope derived from the extracellular domain of H1N1 virus matrix protein 2 (M2e). The researchers fused M2e to bacterial flagellin , a strong mucosal adjuvant, in order to improve M2e immunogenicity PVX has produced other antigens as well. For example, Uhde-Holzem et al. (2010) used PVX to express the epitope HVR1 from the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) as a fusion protein. Recently, PVX has been designed to act as a nanoparticle for tumour immunotherapy.

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