Transgenic lettuce seedlings carrying hepatitis B virus antigen HBsAg

• Main Authors: Jackson Marcondes, Ekkehard Hansen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier
• Series: Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases
• Subjects: Edible vaccine; Hepatitis B; Oral immunization; Recombinant antigen; Transgenic plants
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1413-86702008000600004&lng=en&tlng=en

The obtainment of transgenic edible plants carrying recombinant antigens is a desired issue in search for economic alternatives viewing vaccine production. Here we report a strategy for genetic transformation of lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa L.) using the surface antigen HBsAg of hepatitis B virus. Transgenic lettuce seedlings were obtained through the application of a regulated balance of plant growth regulators. Genetic transformation process was acquired by cocultivation of cotyledons with Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring the recombinant plasmid. It is the first description of a lettuce Brazilian variety "Vitória de Verão" genetically modified.