Aggregates’ Formation in Higher Plants’ Cell Culture: The Role of Cell Wall Components

摘要

Abstract The use of higher plant cell cultures for the production of recombinant proteins, including medical ones, seems to be a promising alternative to existing platforms based on mammalian or bacterial cells. Undoubted advantages of plant cells include the following: no risk of contamination with viruses and prions of animal origin, sufficiently high cell growth rate, relatively low cost of cultural medium components, and the possibility of ensuring the production of recombinant proteins under strictly controlled conditions of bioreactors in accordance with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards. Despite the fact that plant cells are already commercially used to develop biopharmaceuticals, there are still many unresolved problems in this direction. The most important of them include a low level of recombinant protein yield and the ability of plant cells to form aggregates during in vitro cultivation. The formation of cell aggregates that differ in size is a serious problem in the cultivation of suspension cultures, especially in large volumes of industrial bioreactors. The formation of aggregates in suspension cell cultures is based on the natural ability of plant cells to adhere: after the completion of cell division, the cells remain connected through the formation of common median laminae. This review considers the features of the plant cell structure, the biochemical mechanisms underlying adhesion, and their genetic basis. The prospects for the use of modern methods of genomic editing to change the functioning of genes involved in ensuring intercellular adhesion of plant cells are considered.