质体基因工程已成为植物遗传改良的新途径, 尤其在利用植物作为反应器合成积累药用蛋白等重要有机化合物方面有独特的应用价值。然而, 质体仅具有半自主性转录和翻译机制, 其内源基因的转录要依赖于核基因编码的转录因子。外源基因在质体中的表达调控受多种因素影响。新近报道了一些调控质体中转基因表达的技术策略, 例如, 杂种转录因子(hybrid transcription factor)介导的体系, 基于噬菌体T7转录系统和基于细菌lac阻遏因子的体系等。这些技术策略的应用及改进将提高转基因在质体中特异有效表达, 实现外源蛋白在质体中高水平积累。

Plastid gene engineering has become a new way for plant genetic improvements, particularly showing a unique application value in the use of plants as reactors to produce biopharmaceuticals and other important organic compounds. However, plastids only have a semi-autonomous transcription and translation machinery. The transcription of endogenous plastid genes is largely dependent on nuclear-encoded transcription factors. Regulation of foreign gene expression in plastids is influenced by various factors. Several technique strategies for regulation of transgene expression in plastids were reported recently, such as hybrid transcription factor-mediated system, phage T7-based transcription system and bacterial lac suppressor-based system. The application and improvement of these systems will greatly enhance the specific and effective expression of the transgenes, and achieve high-level accumulations of foreign proteins in plastids.