Production of recombinant proteins in transgenic plants: Practical considerations

This review is based on our recent experience in producing the first commercial recombinant proteins in transgenic plants. We bring forward the issues that have to be considered in the process of selecting and developing a winning transgenic plant production system. From the production point of view, transcription, posttranscription, translation, and posttranslation are important events that can affect the quality and quantity of the final product. Understanding the rules of gene expression is required to develop sound strategies for optimization of recombinant protein production in plants. The level of recombinant protein accumulation is critical, but other factors such as crop selection, handling and processing of transgenic plant material, and downstream processing are equally important when considering commercial production. In some instances, the cost of downstream processing alone may determine the economic viability of a particular plant system. Some of the potential advantages of a plant production system such as the high levels of accumulation of recombinant proteins, glycosylation, compartmentalization within the cell, and natural storage stability in certain organs are incentives for aggressively pursuing recombinant protein production in plants. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 56: 473–484, 1997.