Name: expression of recombinant cellulase cel5a from trichoderma reesei in tobacco plants
Uploaded: 2014-06-13T15:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Expression of Recombinant Cellulase Cel5A from Trichoderma reesei in Tobacco Plants at JoVE.com

This work was supported by the BMBF Forschungsinitiative &#8220;BioEnergie 2021 &#8211; Forschung f&#252;r die Nutzung von Biomasse&#8221; and the Cluster of Excellence &#8220;Tailor-made Fuels from Biomass&#8221;, which is funded through the Excellence Initiative by the German federal and state governments to promote science and research at German universities.

1. Growth of Wild Type N. tabacum&#160;Plants
<ol>
	<li>To grow N. tabacum L. cv. Petit Havana SR1 plants on soil, place tobacco seeds on appropriate pots filled with normal potting soil for germination. After 2 weeks, transfer seedlings to individual pots. Incubate plants in a greenhouse with constant 22 &#176;C (dark period) or 25 &#176;C (light period) and 70% relative air humidity. Provide illumination in a 16/8&#160;hr light/dark cycle (e.g. Philips IP65 400 W lamps; 180 &#956;m...

<ol>
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Recombinant expression of cellulases is a field of great interest, due to the desire for more efficient biofuel production systems1. Plants offer many possibilities for successful cellulase production, with features such as economic harvesting techniques and autohydrolysis methods being very desirable properties for large-scale biofuel production. Further, the use of different localizations for producing proteins allow, if required, posttranslational modifications20. Altering plants to enable consti...

Degradation of lignocellulosic biomass and its conversion into liquid fuel has been envisioned as a method to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. One significant hurdle in establishing economically feasible biomass processing systems is in the enzymatic degradation of cellulose and hemicellulose1. Plant expression systems show great potential for the production of enzymes on an industrial scale. Agricultural systems to harvest plants economically and in volume are already established, as they have been for thousands of years. The production of cellulases in plants is desirable due to factors like the ease of autohydrolysis2, and the potential for maximizing the use of lower enzyme levels by increasing the digestibility of plant cell walls1. Finally, plant systems allow the targeting of recombinant proteins to specific areas of plant cells and are able to posttranslationally modify enzymes where required3.

Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) is very commonly used as a model organism for heterologous protein expression studies in plants, due to its rapid growth and biomass accumulation features4. Transient expression of recombinant proteins is a technique which enables protein production in short time periods5, while maintaining flexibility as to the localization and thus posttranslational modifications of the selected proteins, i.e. cellulases. This enables the production of the cellulase(s) for basic analysis, while also laying the groundwork for further expression strategies in plants. Using such a transient expression strategy, an endoglucanase from glycosyl hydrolase family 5, Cel5A, derived from the fungal host Trichoderma reesei (Hypocrea jecorina)6 is produced (hereafter referred to as TrCel5A). TrCel5A is a 42 kDa protein which is natively glycosylated and is highly active in hydroylzing cellulose chains7.

The transient expression technique described here is based on a relatively commonly used system, infiltrating the plant leaves with Agrobacteria carrying the gene of interest in an appropriate expression vector. To allow for rapid analysis of successful in planta expression, TrCel5A can also be expressed as a fusion protein with mCherry, a monomeric fluorescent protein originally derived from Discosoma sp. protein DsRed8, with an additional six Histidine residues (His-tag) fused to the C-terminus (TrCel5A-mCherry). Expression of the heterologous fusion protein, TrCel5A-mCherry, can thus be monitored within the growing plant by using green light to examine mCherry dispersal. If desired, thin sections of the plant material can be examined under green light microscopically to establish the specific localization of the protein. For this work, signal and transit peptides were incorporated in the construct, to localize the heterologous protein export to the endoplasmic reticulum9.

To analyze the activity of plant expressed cellulases, including TrCel5A, a number of cellulase activity tests can be run. After the extraction of the total soluble plant proteins, TrCel5A can be partially purified using a thermal incubation technique. Protein size is established using SDS-PAGE followed by Western blotting. Zymography can be used to analyze activity against substrates, e.g. cellulose which has been carboxy-methylated (making carboxymethyl cellulose: CMC) for solubility10. Cellulase and glucosidase activity can be monitored using the fluorophore 4-methylumbelliferyl (4-MU) associated with &#946;-D-cellobioside (combined: 4-MUC). Another method to assess endoglucanase activity involves the spectrometric analysis of CMC&#160;which has been associated with an azo-dye (Remazolbrilliant Blue R)11. In addition, protein activity of both endoglucanases and a range of cellulases can be monitored by the use of a sugar analysis test, such as the p-hydroxy benzoic acid hydrazide (PAHBAH) assay12. These techniques can be used to elucidate and quantify the activity of the expressed cellulase of interest.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="823">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:308px;">4-methylumbelliferyl &#946;-D-cellobioside</td>
			<td style="width:127px;">SIGMA-ALDRICH</td>
			<td style="width:156px;">M6018</td>
			<td style="width:232px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Acetic acid</td>
			<td>ROTH</td>
			<td>3738</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Acetosyringon (concentrated)</td>
			<td>ROTH</td>
			<td>6003</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Antibiotic - kanamycin</td>
			<td>ROTH</td>
			<td>T832</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Antibiotic - rifampicin</td>
			<td>ROTH</td>
			<td>4163</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Antibiotic - carbenicillin</td>
			<td>ROTH</td>
			<td>6344</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Antibody - rabbit anti His(6) pAb</td>
			<td>ROCKLAND</td>
			<td>600-401-382</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Antibody - goat anti rabbit AP, FC pAb</td>
			<td>DIANOVA</td>
			<td>111-055-008</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Azo-carboxymethyl cellulose</td>
			<td>MEGAZYME</td>
			<td>S-ACMC</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">&#946;-cyclodextrin</td>
			<td>SIGMA-ALDRICH</td>
			<td>C4805</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Calcium chloride dihydrate</td>
			<td>SIGMA-ALDRICH</td>
			<td>C5080</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Carboxymethyl cellulose</td>
			<td>ROTH</td>
			<td>3333.1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Cellulase from Trichoderma reesei ATCC 26921</td>
			<td>SIGMA-ALDRICH</td>
			<td>C2730</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Congo red</td>
			<td>SIGMA-ALDRICH</td>
			<td>75768</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Coomasie brilliant blue G 250</td>
			<td>ROTH</td>
			<td>9598.2</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">D(+)-glucose</td>
			<td>ROTH</td>
			<td>8337</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Ethanol</td>
			<td>ROTH</td>
			<td>K928</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Filter paper - Rotilabo blotting paper</td>
			<td>ROTH</td>
			<td>CL67</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">NBT/BCIP</td>
			<td>SIGMA-ALDRICH</td>
			<td>72091</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">MES buffer</td>
			<td>ROTH</td>
			<td>4256</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Methanol</td>
			<td>ROTH</td>
			<td>8388</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Sodium citrate</td>
			<td>ROTH</td>
			<td>3580</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Sodium dodecylsulfate</td>
			<td>SERVA</td>
			<td>20765</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Sodium hydroxide</td>
			<td>ROTH</td>
			<td>6771</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Soil, Einheitserde classic&#160;</td>
			<td>PATZER GMBH</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Spectrometer - Infinite M200</td>
			<td>TECAN</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Sucrose</td>
			<td>SIGMA-ALDRICH</td>
			<td>S-5390</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">4-Hydroxy benzhydrazide&#160;</td>
			<td>SIGMA-ALDRICH</td>
			<td>H9882</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Phosphate buffered saline</td>
			<td>ROTH</td>
			<td>1058</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">UV light source - BLAK RAY</td>
			<td>UVP</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Vibratome - VT1000S</td>
			<td>Leica</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

expression of recombinant cellulase cel5a from trichoderma reesei in tobacco plants

Cellulose degrading enzymes, cellulases, are targets of both research and industrial interests. The preponderance of these enzymes in difficult-to-culture organisms, such as hyphae-building fungi and anaerobic bacteria, has hastened the use of recombinant technologies in this field. Plant expression methods are a desirable system for large-scale production of enzymes and other industrially useful proteins. Herein, methods for the transient expression of a fungal endoglucanase, Trichoderma reesei Cel5A, in Nicotiana tabacum are demonstrated. Successful protein expression is shown, monitored by fluorescence using an mCherry-enzyme fusion protein. Additionally, a set of basic tests are used to examine the activity of transiently expressed T. reesei Cel5A, including SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, zymography, as well as&#160;fluorescence and dye-based substrate degradation assays. The system described here can be used to produce an active cellulase in a short time period, so as to assess the potential for further production in plants through constitutive or inducible expression systems.

TrCel5A and TrCel5A-mCherry were expressed successfully in tobacco plants using the transient expression system (Figures 1A and 1B). Examination of the expression pattern of the TrCel5A-mCherry fusion protein revealed healthy leaves (Figure 1C), which showed widespread protein expression under green light (Figure 1D).
Extraction of the total soluble proteins was performed on tobacco plants which had leaves that contained the t...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Expression of Recombinant Cellulase Cel5A from Trichoderma reesei in Tobacco Plants at JoVE.com

Expression of Recombinant Cellulase Cel5A from Trichoderma reesei in Tobacco Plants

Tobacco plants were used to produce a fungal cellulase, TrCel5A, via a transient expression system. The expression could be monitored using a fluorescent fusion protein, and the protein activity was characterized post-expression.

Expression of Recombinant Cellulase Cel5A from Trichoderma reesei in Tobacco Plants

Cellulose degrading enzymes, cellulases, are targets of both research and industrial interests. The preponderance of these enzymes in difficult-to-culture ...

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The Barnacle Balanus improvisus as a Marine Model - Culturing and Gene Expression

The Barnacle Balanus improvisus as a Marine Model - Culturing and Gene Expression

Barnacles are marine crustaceans with a sessile adult and free-swimming, planktonic larvae. The barnacle Balanus (Amphibalanus) improvisus is particularly ...

Protocol for Producing Three-Dimensional Infrared Video of Freezing in Plants

Freezing in plants can be monitored using infrared (IR) thermography, because when water freezes, it gives off heat. However, problems with color contrast ...

A Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Assay for Rapid Identification of Bemisia tabaci

A Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification LAMP Assay for Rapid Identification of Bemisia tabaci

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is an invasive pest of considerable importance, affecting the production of vegetable and ornamental crops in many ...