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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2024.10.07.616989

Controlling heterologous protein synthesis through a plant RNA ThermoSwitch

Lastovka, F.·Peyret, H.·Thomas, S. E.·Lomonossoff, G. P.·Chung, B. Y.
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Abstract

Plants have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to adapt to temperature fluctuations, including transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational processes. Recent discoveries highlight RNA ThermoSwitches, cis-acting elements in several plant mRNAs that regulate protein synthesis based on temperature changes. These mechanisms, first identified in Arabidopsis thaliana, offer a promising tool for biotechnology by enabling temperature-sensitive control of protein expression. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the feasibility the application of plant RNA ThermoSwitches in Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression systems, presenting a novel method for controlled gene expression in plants. This system is particularly advantageous due to its homogeneous nature and independence from chemical inducers or suppressors.

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Lastovka, F., Peyret, H., Thomas, S. E., Lomonossoff, G. P., Chung, B. Y.. 2024-10-11. Controlling heterologous protein synthesis through a plant RNA ThermoSwitch. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.10.07.616989

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