Antagonism of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Signaling by 6,2′,4′-TrimethoxyflavoneS⃞

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is regarded as an important homeostatic transcriptional regulator within physiological and pathophysiological processes, including xenobiotic metabolism, endocrine function, immunity, and cancer. Agonist activation of the AHR is considered deleterious based on toxicological evidence obtained with environmental pollutants, which mediate toxic effects through AHR. However, a multitude of plant-derived constituents, e.g., polyphenols that exhibit beneficial properties, have also been described as ligands for the AHR. It is conceivable that some of the positive aspects of such compounds can be attributed to suppression of AHR activity through antagonism. Therefore, we conducted a dioxin response element reporter-based screen to assess the AHR activity associated with a range of flavonoid compounds. Our screen identified two flavonoids (5-methoxyflavone and 7,4′-dimethoxyisoflavone) with previously unidentified AHR agonist potential. In addition, we have identified and characterized 6,2′,4′-trimethoxyflavone (TMF) as an AHR ligand that possesses the characteristics of an antagonist having the capacity to compete with agonists, such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and benzo[a]pyrene, thus effectively inhibiting AHR-mediated transactivation of a heterologous reporter and endogenous targets, e.g., CYP1A1, independent of cell lineage or species. Furthermore, TMF displays superior action by virtue of having no partial agonist activity, in contrast to other documented antagonists, e.g., α-napthoflavone, which are partial weak agonists. TMF also exhibits no species or promoter dependence with regard to AHR antagonism. TMF therefore represents an improved tool allowing for more precise dissection of AHR function in the absence of any conflicting agonist activity

Boosting heterologous protein production in transgenic dicotyledonous seeds using Phaseolus vulgaris regulatory sequences

Over the past decade, several high-value proteins have been produced in different transgenic plant tissues such as leaves, tubers, and seeds(1,2). Despite recent advances, many heterologous proteins accumulate to low concentrations, and the optimization of expression cassettes to make in planta production and purification economically feasible remains critical. Here, the regulatory sequences of the seed storage protein gene arcelin 5-I (arc5-I) of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)(3) were evaluated for producing heterologous proteins in dicotyledonous seeds. The murine single-chain variable fragment (scFv) G4 (ref. 4) was chosen as model protein because of the current industrial interest in producing antibodies and derived fragments in crops(5,6). In transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana seed stocks, the scFv under control of the 35S promoter of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) accumulated to approximately 1% of total soluble protein (TSP). However, a set of seed storage promoter constructs boosted the scFv accumulation to exceptionally high concentrations, reaching no less than 36.5% of TSP in homozygous seeds. Even at these high concentrations, the scFv proteins had antigen-binding activity and affinity similar to those produced in Escherichia coli. The feasibility of heterologous protein production under control of arc5-I regulatory sequences was also demonstrated in Phaseolus acutifolius, a promising crop for large-scale production