Abstract
dc:description.abstractRelaxin is a small peptide hormone that has demonstrated potential therapeutic actions for cardiovascular disease and fibrosis. Additionally, relaxin has demonstrated the ability to protect the heart from injuries caused by ischemia and reperfusion, promote the healing of ischemic ulcers, and counteract allergic responses. The objective of this research was to express fully processed porcine relaxin in transgenic tobacco plants, as an alternative to current methods of producing relaxin. Two recombinant relaxin genes were constructed that contained the patatin signal peptide cDNA fused in frame to prorelaxin cDNA, which was codon-optimized for expression in Nicotiana tabacum, under the control of either the "super" promoter or the dual enhanced cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. Eighteen transgenic tobacco plants were generated that were transformed with the above recombinant genes. Preprorelaxin, mRNA was detected in 12 of the transgenic plants. Fully processed relaxin protein was not found in any tobacco plants that had demonstrated gene expression by northern blot analysis. Preprorelaxin was only identified in extracts from transgenic plants that contained the insoluble protein fraction, as determined by western blot analysis. Additionally, an increased yield of preprorelaxin was identified after incubation of tobacco leaves in an ubiquitin inhibitor.
Degree
thesis:*- Name thesis:degree_name
- Master of Science
- Level thesis:degree_level
- masters
- Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
- Biological Systems Engineering
- Department dc:contributor.department
- Biological Systems Engineering
- Grantor dc:publisher
- Virginia Tech
- Year dc:date.issued
- 2006
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Buswell, Walter Scott
- Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
-
- Zhang, Chenming Mike
- Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
-
- Jelesko, John G.
- Agblevor, Foster Aryi
Subjects
dc:subject × 3Rights
dc:rights- Statement dc:rights
-
- In Copyright
- Licence dc:rights.uri
Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- Dc Identifier Other
- etd-05152006-130213
- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/32803