CuBe: a geminivirus-based copper-regulated expression system suitable for post-harvest activation.

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable platforms for biomolecule manufacturing has fueled the development of plant-based production systems. Agroinfiltration, the current industry standard, offers several advantages but faces limitations for large-scale production due to high operational costs and batch-to-batch variability. Alternatively, here, we describe the CuBe system, a novel bean yellow dwarf virus (BeYDV)-derived conditional replicative expression platform stably transformed in Nicotiana benthamiana and activated by copper sulfate (CuSO4), an inexpensive and widely used agricultural input. The CuBe system utilizes a synthetic circuit of four genetic modules integrated into the plant genome: (i) a replicative vector harboring the gene of interest (GOI) flanked by cis-acting elements for geminiviral replication and novelly arranged to enable transgene transcription exclusively upon formation of the circular replicon, (ii) copper-inducible Rep/RepA proteins essential for replicon formation, (iii) the yeast-derived CUP2-Gal4 copper-responsive transcriptional activator for Rep/RepA expression, and (iv) a copper-inducible Flp recombinase to minimize basal Rep/RepA expression. Copper sulfate application triggers the activation of the system, leading to the formation of extrachromosomal replicons, expression of the GOI, and accumulation of the desired recombinant protein. We demonstrate the functionality of the CuBe system in N. benthamiana plants expressing high levels of eGFP and an anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody upon copper treatment. Notably, the system is also functional with post-harvest copper application, a strategy with potential advantages for large-scale biomanufacturing. This work presents the CuBe system as a promising alternative to agroinfiltration for cost-effective and scalable production of recombinant proteins in plants.