Polyphenol oxidase silencing avoids protein crosslinking and enzymatic browning in Nicotiana benthamiana leaf extracts

Oxidation in extracts from agroinfiltrated leaves leads to browning and protein precipitation. Here we show that silencing of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in Nicotiana benthamiana suppresses enzymatic browning and avoids crosslinking of endogenous proteins such as RuBisCo. PPO silencing does not impact plant growth or development and may also enhance transient gene expression. These results show that depletion of PPO activity could be highly beneficial for plant science applications and molecular pharming.