The green strategy for recombinant protein production in maize using mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Abstract

Abstract Reliable techniques for successful gene transfer and propagation of plants are of central importance in basic and applied research. In maize, conventional transformation and regeneration consist of difficult, time-consuming, and cultivar-dependent procedures. To overcome these problems here, we develop a strategy to utilize an efficient, reproducible, rather simple, and cost-effective system in gene transfer to maize without any need for complicated devices. For this purpose, we explore the transformation and expression of a designed protein (LHN2F) in maize seeds using poly-ethyleneimine-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (PEI-MSNs) and ultrasonic treatment. The plasmid pCAMBIA3301 harboring the lhn2f and bargenes is first loaded on the PEI-MSNs and then delivered using the ultrasonic treatment to mature maize seeds. Visual screening by the herbicide and laboratory procedures involving PCR, western blotting, ELISA, and RP-HPLC were used to identify recombination events. Up to 40 % of treated seeds were grown in herbicide medium and expressed the desired protein. This methodology has the potential to become an effective tool for maize genome manipulation and editing without the involvement of any tissue culture procedure.