Plantibodies are antibodies produced in genetically modified plants. They are made by transforming plants with antibody genes from animals. The first plantibody was a mouse antibody produced in tobacco plants in 1989. Plants are now used as factories to produce large quantities of antibodies through their endomembrane and secretory systems. Antibodies can be expressed in plants for both human therapeutic purposes and to protect plants from diseases. However, plant glycosylation of antibodies differs from mammalian glycosylation, which could impact antigen binding affinity and immunogenicity. Purification of plantibodies involves techniques like filtration, chromatography, and diafiltration to obtain clinically viable proteins for various medical applications.

1. PLANTIBODIES :UNRAVELLING
THE MYSTERY
PRIYANKA PARKAR
ROLL NO:23

2. WHAT ARE PLANTIBODIES?
A plantibody is an antibody produced by
genetically modified plants.
Antibodies are part of animal immune
systems, and are produced in plants by
transforming them with antibody genes
from animals.
This was first done in 1989, with a
mouse antibody made by tobacco plants.
Although plants do not naturally make
antibodies, plantibodies have been
shown to function in the same way as
normal antibodies.
The term plantibody as well as the
concept is trademarked by the company
Biolex.

3. ANTIBODY FACTORIES
Plants are being used as antibody
factories, using their endomembrane
and secretory systems to produce large
amounts of clinically viable proteins.
Antibodies can be expressed in plants as
either full-length molecules or as smaller
fragments.
Antibodies are produced in plants for
both humans therapeutic purposes and
for protection for plants against
diseases.

4. Full-size monoclonal antibodies recently
produced in transgenic plants
PLANT ANTIBODY TYPE (TARGET) PURPOSE
TOBACCO IgG (NEMATODE) Plant pathogen resistance
TOBACCO sIgG/A (steptococcus Therapeutic (topical)
mutans)
SOYABEAN, RICE IgG ( herpes simplex virus) Therapeutic (topical)
TOBACCO IgG (colon cancer) Therapeutic (systemic
injection)
ALFALFA IgG ( human IgG) Diagnostic
TOBACCO IgG (rabies virus) Therapeutic (systemic
injection)
TOBACCO IgG (hepatitis B virus) Therapeutic
TOBACCO IgG ( low mol. wt. Catalytic antibodies
phosphonate ester)

5. METHODS FOR PLANTIBODY
PRODUCTION
Using transformation and transient
expression to introduce new genes
into a host cell.
Targeting to the APOPLASM by the
tagging with a small peptide
sequence.
Signal molecules added to target the
protein to the Endoplasmic Reticulum
(E.R); to ensures correct folding of the
protein.
Higher protein levels obtained in the
E.R and the apoplasm as compared to
the cytosol.

6. TRANSFORMATION TARGETING APOPLASM

7. GLYCOSYLATION
Glycosylation refers to the
enzymatic process that attaches
glycans to proteins, lipids, or other
organic molecules.
It occurs in all higher eukaryotes in
the golgi complex.
Glycans serve a variety of structural
and functional roles in membrane
and secreted proteins.
Glycosylation by plants differs to
that found in mammalian cells.
Plant glycans are smaller and have
different terminal sugar residues.
It is thought this may have an
immunogenic effect and have low
antigen-binding affinity.

8. PURIFICATION OF PLANTIBODIES
Plantibodies can be purified
cheaply in large quantities.
Transgenic seeds assure excellent
storage properties and due to
limited range of endogenous
proteins in seeds, separation of
plantibody is less complicated.
There is no risk of spreading
animal diseases to humans as the
antibodies are produced by plants
The production of large amounts
of clinically viable protein
especially IgA has many
applications in medicine.

9. Techniques for purification of
Plantibodies
Filtration
Immunofluoresence
Chromatography
Diafiltration
Polymer fusion
Evaluation techniques for the
Plantibodies
RIA(Radioimmunoassay) Northern
blot analysis
ELISA (Enzyme linked immuno-
sorbent assay) Western blot
analysis
Immunofluorescence Southern blot
analysis

19. Protection against Nematodes
Nematodes cause huge crop
damage.
Plants engineered to express
ScFv’s against nematode
cellulases have been shown to
inactivate the pests.
This technology could eradicate
the need for toxic nematicides
and fumigants that are
currently in use.

22. CONCLUSION
Plants provide a cheap,
efficient and safe system for
the production of antibodies.
The progression of transgenic
plant technology now has
allowed for the progression of
human life and other medicinal
advancements.
It is projected that in the near
future, many of the necessary
human antibodies will have an
origin as a plantibody.

23. REFERENCES
Larrick J.W., Yu L., Chen J., et. al.Production of antibodies in
transgenic plants.Res. in Immuno. 1998; 149: 603-8.
ENCYLOPEDIA OF APPLIED PLANT SCIENCES – Volume 1 A.
Edited by – Thomas, Murphy, Murray
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Mason H.S., Arntzen C.J. Transgenic plants as vaccine
production systems. Trends in Biotechnology. 1995; 13: 388-
92.
Schillberg S., Zimmermann S., Zhang M.Y.,Fischer R. Antibody-
based resistance to plant pathogens. Transgenic Res. 2001;
10:1-12.
De Jaeger G., De Wilde C., Eeckhout D.,Fiers E., Depicker A.
The plantibody approach:expression of antibody genes in
plants to modulate plant metabolism or to obtain pathogen
resistance. Plant Mol. Biol. 2000; 43;419-428.