Project description:Microalgae are promising production platforms for the cost-effective production of recombinant proteins. We have recently established that the red alga Porphyridium purpureum provides superior transgene expression properties, due to the episomal main- tenance of transformation vectors as multicopy plasmids in the nucleus. Here, we have explored the potential of Porphyridium to synthesize complex pharmaceutical proteins to high levels. Testing expression constructs for a candidate subunit vaccine against the hepatitis C virus (HCV), we show that the soluble HCV E2 glycoprotein can be produced in transgenic algal cultures to high levels. The antigen undergoes faithful posttranslational modification by N-glycosylation and is recognized by conformationally selective antibodies, suggesting that it adopts a proper antigenic conformation in the endoplasmic reticulum of red algal cells. We also report the experimental determina- tion of the structure of the N-glycan moiety that is attached to glycosylated proteins in Porphyridium. Finally, we demonstrate the immunogenicity of the HCV antigen produced in red algae when administered by injection as pure protein or by feeding of algal biomass.
Project description:5 conditions for RNA-sequencing: Mono-culture biofilms of C. difficile WT, C. difficile luxS mutant (insertional ClosTron mutant as described in DOI: 10.1128/JB.01980-12), B. fragilis (PRJEB29695), and co-cultures biofilms of C. difficile WT and luxS mutant with B. fragilis. These were used to compare differences between C. difficile WT and luxS during mono-culture biofilms, as well transcriptomic differences for both C. difficile and B. fragilis during co-culture.
