Biosynthesis of poly-gamma-glutamic acid in plants: transient expression of poly-gamma-glutamate synthetase complex in tobacco leaves.

Transient expression of genes coding for the poly-gamma-glutamate (gammaPGA) synthetase system (pgs) was investigated in tobacco plants. Three genes of the pgs, pgsA, pgsB and pgsC, were separately placed under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter and introduced into tobacco leaves via Agrobacterium infection. Synthesized gammaPGA in plant tissues was detected immunologically with mouse anti-gammaPGA antiserum which specifically reacts with gammaPGA on a nitrocellulose membrane. Confirmation of gammaPGA biosynthesis in the transient expression analysis in tobacco tissue indicates that subunits of pgs complex were expressed and reassembled in a functional form.