Potato virus A (PVA), a potyvirus with a (+)ssRNA genome translated to a large polyprotein, was e... more Potato virus A (PVA), a potyvirus with a (+)ssRNA genome translated to a large polyprotein, was engineered and used as a gene vector for expression of heterologous proteins in plants. Foreign genes including jellyfish GFP (Aequorea victoria) encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP, 27 kDa) and the genes of human origin (Homo sapiens) encoding a soluble resistance-related calcium-binding protein (sorcin, 22 kDa) and the catechol-O-methyltransferase (S-COMT; 25 kDa) were cloned between the cistrons for the viral replicase and coat protein (CP). The inserts caused no adverse effects on viral infectivity and virulence, and the inserted sequences remained intact in progeny viruses in the systemically infected leaves. The heterologous proteins were released from the viral polyprotein following cleavage by the main viral proteinase, NIa, at engineered proteolytic processing sites flanking the insert. Active GFP, as indicated by green fluorescence, and S-COMT with high levels of enzymatic activity were produced. In contrast, no sorcin was detected despite the expected equimolar amounts of the foreign and viral proteins being expressed as a polyprotein. These data reveal inherent differences between heterologous proteins in their suitability for production in plants.
Molecular plant-microbe interactions : MPMI, Jan 12, 2015
Mature grapevine berries at the harvesting stage (MB) are very susceptible to the gray mold fungu... more Mature grapevine berries at the harvesting stage (MB) are very susceptible to the gray mold fungus Botrytis cinerea while veraison berries (VB) are not. We conducted simultaneous microscopic and transcriptomic analyses of the pathogen and the host to investigate the infection process developed by B. cinerea on MB versus VB, and the plant defense mechanisms deployed to stop the fungus development. On the pathogen side, our genome-wide transcriptomic data revealed that B. cinerea genes up-regulated during infection of MB are enriched in functional categories related to necrotrophy such as degradation of plant cell wall, proteolysis, membrane transport, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and detoxification. Quantitative-PCR on a set of representative genes related to virulence and microscopic observations further demonstrated that the infection is also initiated on VB but stops at the penetration stage. On the plant side, genome-wide transcriptomic analysis and metabolic data rev...
Potato virus A (PVA), a potyvirus with a (+)ssRNA genome translated to a large polyprotein, was e... more Potato virus A (PVA), a potyvirus with a (+)ssRNA genome translated to a large polyprotein, was engineered and used as a gene vector for expression of heterologous proteins in plants. Foreign genes including jellyfish GFP (Aequorea victoria) encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP, 27 kDa) and the genes of human origin (Homo sapiens) encoding a soluble resistance-related calcium-binding protein (sorcin, 22 kDa) and the catechol-O-methyltransferase (S-COMT; 25 kDa) were cloned between the cistrons for the viral replicase and coat protein (CP). The inserts caused no adverse effects on viral infectivity and virulence, and the inserted sequences remained intact in progeny viruses in the systemically infected leaves. The heterologous proteins were released from the viral polyprotein following cleavage by the main viral proteinase, NIa, at engineered proteolytic processing sites flanking the insert. Active GFP, as indicated by green fluorescence, and S-COMT with high levels of enzymatic activity were produced. In contrast, no sorcin was detected despite the expected equimolar amounts of the foreign and viral proteins being expressed as a polyprotein. These data reveal inherent differences between heterologous proteins in their suitability for production in plants.
Molecular plant-microbe interactions : MPMI, Jan 12, 2015
Mature grapevine berries at the harvesting stage (MB) are very susceptible to the gray mold fungu... more Mature grapevine berries at the harvesting stage (MB) are very susceptible to the gray mold fungus Botrytis cinerea while veraison berries (VB) are not. We conducted simultaneous microscopic and transcriptomic analyses of the pathogen and the host to investigate the infection process developed by B. cinerea on MB versus VB, and the plant defense mechanisms deployed to stop the fungus development. On the pathogen side, our genome-wide transcriptomic data revealed that B. cinerea genes up-regulated during infection of MB are enriched in functional categories related to necrotrophy such as degradation of plant cell wall, proteolysis, membrane transport, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and detoxification. Quantitative-PCR on a set of representative genes related to virulence and microscopic observations further demonstrated that the infection is also initiated on VB but stops at the penetration stage. On the plant side, genome-wide transcriptomic analysis and metabolic data rev...
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Papers by Jani Kelloniemi