As the world population increases and wild caught fisheries decline, aquaculture offers a sustainable solution addressing this global challenge. However, disease management remains difficult. With limited options, there is a need for innovative solutions. The cytokine interleukin-22 (IL-22) has emerged as a possible therapeutic target for fish and has been correlated with protection under pathogen challenge. Plant-based production systems have the potential to effectively manufacture and bring unique efficacy-enhancing features to the aquaculture industry; namely, the advantages of low cost for this commodity market, ready scalability, and reduced environmental impact. Catfish IL-22 produced at significant yield and purity highlights the use of plants as a promising production platform for therapeutic proteins with utility to the aquaculture industry. Purified cfIL-22 shows similar in vitro bioactivity to its mammalian homolog that include increased proliferation of catfish cells highlighting the tissue preservation capabilities associated with this protein. Recombinant cfIL-22 also upregulated expression of genes encoding a tissue repair protein, fibronectin, an antimicrobial peptide, Natural killer lysin-1, and a common innate immune protein, interferon. These findings support plant-made recombinant catfish interleukin-22 as a potential therapeutic for the aquaculture industry and further analysis of this protein for promoting animal health.

随着世界人口的增加和野生捕捞渔业的减少，水产养殖为应对这一全球挑战提供了可持续的解决方案。然而，疾病管理仍然很困难。由于选择有限，因此需要创新的解决方案。细胞因子白细胞介素 22 (IL-22) 已成为鱼类的可能治疗靶点，并与病原体攻击下的保护相关。以植物为基础的生产系统有潜力有效生产并为水产养殖业带来独特的功效增强功能；即该商品市场的低成本、可扩展性和减少环境影响的优势。鲶鱼 IL-22 的产量和纯度很高，凸显了植物作为治疗性蛋白生产平台的前景，可用于水产养殖业。纯化的 cfIL-22 显示出与其哺乳动物同源物相似的体外生物活性，包括增加鲶鱼细胞的增殖，突出显示与该蛋白质相关的组织保存能力。重组 cfIL-22 还上调编码组织修复蛋白、纤连蛋白、抗菌肽、自然杀伤细胞溶素-1 和常见先天免疫蛋白干扰素的基因表达。这些发现支持植物重组鲶鱼白细胞介素 22 作为水产养殖业的潜在治疗剂，并进一步分析该蛋白质以促进动物健康。