Título: The oral transfection of Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: noctuidae) larvae via an artificial diet as a strategy for recombinant protein production.
Resumen: Recombinant proteins are special proteins made using genetic instructions, and they are widely used in medicines, vaccines, food production, and even agriculture. Among the variety of organisms that can serve to obtain them, insects are valuable natural platforms or “mini-factories” capable of producing recombinant proteins in a safe, massive, and efficient way. In this study, we tested a simple method to deliver plasmid DNA—with instructions for the precise synthesis of proteins—to the larvae of the moth Spodoptera exigua by mixing it into their artificial diet. To prevent DNA from being damaged in the insect’s digestive tube, we coated it with chitosan, a natural material, to obtain microscopic particles, and then incorporated it into the diet. The results indicated that larvae successfully absorbed the DNA protected this way and produced the proteins, with higher amounts yielded when more DNA was added. The proteins were easy to detect because they glowed (fluorescence) or showed clear activity. These results show that feeding insects protected DNA could be a practical, economical, and non-invasive way to produce functional proteins useful for a variety of biotechnological applications.
Revista: Insects.
DOI: doi.org/10.3390/insects16111095
