Controlling heterologous protein synthesis through a plant RNA ThermoSwitch

Abstract

Plants have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to adapt to temperature fluctuations, including transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational processes. Recent discoveries highlight RNA ThermoSwitches, cis-acting elements in several plant mRNAs that regulate protein synthesis based on temperature changes. These mechanisms, first identified in Arabidopsis thaliana, offer a promising tool for biotechnology by enabling temperature-sensitive control of protein expression. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the feasibility the application of plant RNA ThermoSwitches in Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression systems, presenting a novel method for controlled gene expression in plants. This system is particularly advantageous due to its homogeneous nature and independence from chemical inducers or suppressors.