Recombinant collagens and derived proteins produced by plants, methods of obtaining such and their uses

Abstract

The invention concerns the use of a recombinant nucleotide sequence containing a cDNA coding for one or several mammal collagen chains or derived proteins and elements enabling a plant cell to produce the collagen chain(s) or derived proteins, coded by said cDNA, particularly a transcription promoter and terminator identified by the transcription machinery of the plant cells, for transforming the plant cells so as to obtain from these cells, or plants obtained from them, the collagen chain(s) or derived proteins.

1 . Use of a recombinant nucleotide sequence containing firstly a cDNA coding for one or more mammalian collagen chains or the derived proteins, and secondly the elements enabling a plant cell to produce the collagen chain or chains or the derived proteins, encoded by said cDNA, in particular a promoter and a transcription terminator recognised by the transcriptional machinery of the plant cells, for the transformation of plant cells with a view to obtaining, from these cells, or from the plants obtained from the latter, the collagen chain or chains or the derived proteins.  
     
     
         2 . Recombinant nucleotide sequence, characterised in that it contains firstly the sequence coding for one or more collagen chains or the derived proteins, and secondly the elements enabling a plant cell to produce the collagen chain or chains or the derived proteins encoded by said sequence, in particular a promoter and a transcription terminator recognised by the transcriptional machinery of the plant cells.  
     
     
         3 . Vector, in particular a plasmid vector, containing a nucleotide sequence according to  claim 2 , inserted at a site that is non-essential for its replication.  
     
     
         4 . Host cell, in particular any bacterium such as  Agrobacterium tumefaciens,  transformed by a vector in accordance with  claim 3 .  
     
     
         5 . Method of obtaining one or more collagen chains or the derived polypeptides, characterised in that it entails: 
 transformation of plant cells, in particular using a host cell according to  claim 4 , itself transformed by a vector according to  claim 3 , such as to incorporate into the genome of these cells a recombinant sequence in accordance with  claim 2 ,    optionally, obtaining transformed plants from the above-mentioned transformed cells,    collecting the collagen chain or chains or the derived recombinant polypeptides produced in said above-mentioned transformed cells or plants in particular by extraction, possibly followed by purification.    
     
     
         6 . Plants, plant extracts or parts of plants, in particular leaves and/or fruits and/or seeds and/or plant cells, genetically transformed, characterised in that they contain one (or more) recombinant nucleotide sequence(s) according to  claim 2 , incorporated in stable manner into their genome, these plants being chosen in particular from among colza, tobacco, maize, pea, tomato, carrot, wheat, barley, potato, soybean, sunflower, lettuce, rice, alfalfa and beetroot.  
     
     
         7 . Collagen chain or derived protein characterised in that it is obtained according to the method of  claim 5 .  
     
     
         8 . Collagen or derived protein, characterised in that it is obtained in accordance with the method of  claim 5 .  
     
     
         9 . Product, in particular gelatin, characterised in that it is obtained from collagen chains, collagen or their derived proteins in accordance with claims  7  or  8 .  
     
     
         10 . Plants, plant extracts or parts of plants, in particular leaves and/or fruits and/or seeds and/or plant cells, genetically transformed, characterised in that they contain collagen chains, collagen or the derived proteins in accordance with claims  7  or  8 , these plants being chosen in particular from among colza, tobacco, maize, pea, tomato, carrot, wheat, barley, potato, soybean, sunflower, lettuce, rice, alfalfa and beetroot.  
     
     
         11 . Use of plants, plant extracts or parts of plants in accordance with  claim 6  or  10 , and/or of products in accordance with  claims 7  to  9 , to obtain pharmaceutical, medical, odontological, cosmetic or biotechnological compositions.  
     
     
         12 . Biomaterial and pharmaceutical, medical, odontological, cosmetic or biotechnological composition, characterised in that they comprise plants, plant extracts or parts of plants in accordance with  claim 6  or  10  and/or products according to  claims 7  to  9 .