Evaluation of protein production in rice seedlings under dark conditions

Although plants have several advantages for foreign protein production, cultivation of transgenic plants in artificial plant growth facilities involves the use of a great amount of electricity for lightning and air conditioning, reducing cost-effectiveness. Protein production in plants grown in darkness can overcome this problem, but the amount of protein produced in the dark is unknown. In this study, the total amount of soluble protein produced in rice seedlings germinated and grown in light or darkness were examined at several time points after germination and under different temperature, nutritional, and seedling density conditions. Our results indicate that rice seedlings grown in darkness produce a comparable amount of total soluble protein to those grown in light. Furthermore, we found that the best conditions for protein production in dark-grown rice seedlings are large seeds germinated and grown for 10-12 days at 28 degrees C supplemented with Murashige and Skoog medium and 30 g/l sucrose in dense planting. Therefore, our results suggest that foreign proteins can be produced in rice seedlings in the dark, with a reduced electricity use and an increase in cost-effectiveness.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates that rice seedlings grown in darkness can produce a comparable amount of soluble protein to those grown in light. Optimal conditions for protein production in dark-grown rice seedlings include large seeds, germination and growth at 28 degrees C, supplementation with specific medium and sucrose, and dense planting. Therefore, this research suggests the possibility of producing foreign proteins in rice seedlings in the dark, reducing electricity usage and increasing cost-effectiveness.