Multiple gene expression for engineering novel pathways and hyperexpression of foreign proteins in plants

摘要

Introducing blocks of foreign genes in a single operon would avoid complications such as position effect and gene silencing inherent in putting one gene at a time into random locations in the nuclear genome. Cloning several genes into a single T-DNA does not avoid the compounded variable expression problem encountered in nuclear transgenic plants. This disclosure shows that a bacterial operon can be expressed in a single integration event as opposed to multiple events requiring several years to accomplish. Expression of multiple genes via a single transformation event opens the possibility of expressing foreign pathways or pharmaceutical proteins involving multiple genes. Expressing the Cry2aA2 operon, including a putative chaperonin to aid in protein folding, in the chloroplast via a single transformation event leads to production of crystalized insecticidal proteins. Expressing the Mer operon via a single transformation event leads to a phytoremediation system