2. • Plastids
• Chloroplast structure and Genome
• Chloroplast transformation
• Why Plastid transformation is preferred over
nuclear transformation???
• Traits of Interest and limitations
• Markers elimination systems
• Conclusion
Content
3. Membrane – bound organelles present in Plants, Algae,
Several taxa of marine mollusks and in some Protistans
Site of manufacture and storage of various chemical
compounds
Semiautonomous in nature
Show Maternal inheritance
Having double stranded circular DNA
Plastids
9. Plastid Transformation
Homologous recombination between the transformation
vector and the plastid genome, resulting in integration
of the foreign gene(s) of interest at a predictable,
predetermined site in the Plastid genome
14. Commonly used Promoters, Un-
translated regions and Insertion sites
Promoter 5’-UTRs 3’UTRs Popular insertion sites
PrrnA T7G10 rps16 trnI – trnA
PpsbA ggagg rbcL rbcL –accD
PrbcL rbcL petD rp132- trnL
atpB psbA petA – psbJ
psbA 3’-rps12/7 – trnV
cry2a trn16/V – 3’-rps12/7
trnfM – trnG
trnN – trnR
atpB – rbcL
rps7 – ndhB
Ycf3 - trnS
Ahmad et al (2016) J Experimental Botany 67: 5945-5960
15. DNA delivery Methods
Plastid vector DNA is
coated on to tungsten
or gold micro
projectiles (0.4- 1um
in diameter), which
are then delivered at
high velocity through
cell wall & membrane
and then through
double plastid
membrane
Heifetz (2000) Biochimie 82:655-666
Biolistic Transformation
16. PEG (Polyethylene Glycol) mediated
transformation
Isolation of Protoplast by degrading cell wall enzyme
Plant Protoplast treated with PEG along with Ca2+ ,
followed by introduction of naked DNA into system
Plasma membrane is destabilized by PEG & Ca2+ action
and become permeable to naked DNA, which enter into
plastids and integrate into genome
Now PEG & cation are removed from system and
transformed plastids are transferred to media for further
regeneration and selection
Heifetz (2000) Biochimie 82:655-666
24. Gene containment
Why Plastid Transformation is preferred
over Nuclear transformation ??
Mogensen (1996) Am J Bot 83: 383-404
25. Mode of Integration and Position effect
NHEJ HR
HR
Donor DNA
template
Premature
stop
codon
Indel
mutation
Homologous
sequence A
Homologous
sequence B
Promotor mg goi
Plastid DNA
Transformation
Vector
Homologous
sequence A
Homologous
sequence B
DNA DSB
26. Gene Silencing
Cerutti (2003) Trends in genetics 9:1
NH2
NH2
NH2
NH2
NH2
NH2
NH2
Ribosome
Promotor
RNA
polymerase
5’
5’
5’
Sence
transgene
Inverted
repeat
transgene
DNA methylation
Aberrant RNA Repressive chromatin
structure
dsRNA
dsRNA
SiRNA
SiRNA
RNA synthesis
RNA synthesis
Dicer
Activated
RISC
Nucleus
Cytoplasm
RNA degradation
RNA degradation
Activated
RISC like?
Short
or long
dsRNA
Primer
independent
RdRP?
Primer dependent
RdRP?
28. Toxicity of
Foreign Protein
Toxic proteins
accumulating
within cytosol
might results in
serious pleiotropic
effects
Adverse effect of
transgenic proteins
can be minimized
by chloroplast
compartmentalizati
on
Epigenetic
effects
Homogeneity
at ploidy level
Epigenetic effects
are not observed
Lines are
Homoplasmic.
Homoplasmy
achieved through
repetitive selection
and regeneration
Epigenetic effects
are observed
Either hetrozygous
or homozygous.
Homozygosity
achieved either by
selfing or crossing
Nucleus
transformation
Chloroplast
transformation
Ahmad et al (2016) J Experimental
Botany 67: 5945-5960
29. Gene Site of
Integration
Efficiency of
expression
Enhanced traits Crop References
cry9Aa2 trnI/trnA 10% TSP Resistance to
potato tuber moth
Tobacco Chakarbarti
et al (2005)
RC1011 trnI/trnA >17% TSP Resistance to TMV Tobacco Lee et al
(2012)
TCY Prs14/trnG NR Cold tolerance Tobacco Lu et al
(2013)
y-TMT trnI/trnA >7.7% TSP Increased salt
tolerance
Tomato Jin et al
(2014)
Spo, cys,
chi
trnI/trnA 5.9% TSP Biotic and Abiotic
stress
Tobacco Chen et al
(2014)
Traits of Interest
Resistance to Biotic and Abiotic stress
30. Production of Vaccine antigens and
Biopharmaceuticals
Traits Gene Expression Host plant References
Dengue virus DENV 0.8-1.6% TSP Tobacco Oey et al (2009)
Hepatitis virus
coat protein
Cp 0.1% TSP Tobacco Madesis et al (2010)
Polio virus VP1 4-5% TSP Tobacco Lakshmi et al (2013)
HIV gp120 16ug g-1FW Tobacco Morgenfeld et al (2014)
Tuberculosis
antigen
CTB-ESAT6 0.75% TSP Lettuce Gorantala et al (2014)
CTB-tb72F 7.5% TSP Tobacco Gorantala et al (2014)
Human
proinsulin
Pins-protein A 0.2% TSP Tobacco Yarbakht et al (2015)
31. Production of Biomaterial/Enzymes
Enzymes/
Biomaterials
Gene Crop Yield Reference
Polyhydroxybutyr
ate
Phb Tobacco 18.8% TSP Peterson and Bock
(2011)
Endo- gluconase celB Tobacco 60% TSP Madanala et al (2015)
Xylanase Xyn Tobacco 35% TSP Madanala et al (2015)
Cellulases cel6B Tobacco 5-40% TSP Espinosa et al (2015)
Elastin derived
polymer
Ep121 Tobacco Not detected Castigalia et al (2016)
32. Metabolic Engineering
Trait Genes Target site Crop References
Beta carotein Lycopene beta
cyclase gene
trnfM- trnG Tomato Apel and Bock
(2009)
Vitamin E TCY, TMT trnfM- trnG Tomato Lu et al (2013)
Astaxanthin BKT, BHY rbcL- accD Tomato Harada et al (2014)
Rubisco
efficiency
L8
A S8
t atpB- accD Tobacco Whitney et al
(2015)
Artemisinin
production
Nine genes
were
incorporated
trnfM- trnG Tobacco Fuentus et al
(2016)
33. Phytoremedation
Mercuric ion reductase (merA)
Organgomercurial lyase (merB)
Both helps to improve the capacity accumulate more mercury
without harmful effect
Production of biofuels
Production of biofuel from lingocellulosic material is limited.
E.g. Xylanase 10 expressed in tobacco chloroplast for to
maximize the conversion of methyl glucuronoxylan to
fermentable sugars
Adem et al (2017) Plant Methods 13:30
34. Limitations of Chloroplast
Transformation
Narrow range of Transformable plant species
Poor expression of transgenes in non- green
plastids
Transgene containment in the chloroplast
genome is not absolute
Limited availability of inducible gene
expression system
Absence of Glycosylation
Stability of protein
Ahmad et al (2016) J Experimental Botany 67: 5945-5960
38. Reasons to remove Markers
Potential metabolic burden imposed by high levels of marker
gene expression
Spread of antibiotic resistance genes from plant to bacteria
then to pathogenic bacteria to create ‘Super bugs’ resistance to
antibiotics
Unintended consequences of protein product of antibiotic
resistance genes on metabolism of plant, their toxicity and
Allergenicity
Day and Clermont (2011) Plant Biotech J 9:540-553
39. aadA
Direct DNA repeats
Alignment
Lost
Recombination Marker Free
Recombination between direct
repeats results in excision
Day and Clermont (2011) Plant
Biotech J 9:540-553
Markers Elimination Systems
aadA free chloroplast DNA
(herbicide resistance)
aadA and bar free
chloroplast DNA
418 bp 3’UTR
174 bp promotor
gusA
gusA
aadA bar
bar rbc L
rbc L
rbc L
accD accD
accD
40. Isolation of marker free plants using transient co-
integration of the maker gene
43. Conclusion
• Plastids has pivotal role in life- sustaining
• Biolistic and PEG treatment is most common techniques
used in chloroplast transformation
• Absence of gene silencing & position effect, high
expression, uni-parental inheritance and site directed
integration of gene are important characteristics of
chloroplast transformation
• Int/att and Cre/loxP are most efficient methods for making
marker free transplastomes
44. Although the technology to obtain marker free
transplastomic plants is available, no
transplastomic crops are yet grown commercially
Thank You