In vivo production of non-glycosylated recombinant proteins in Nicotiana benthamiana plants by co-expression with Endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase H (Endo H) of Streptomyces plicatus

A plant transient expression system, with eukaryotic post-translational modification machinery, offers superior efficiency, scalability, safety, and lower cost over other expression systems. However, due to aberrant N-glycosylation, this expression system may not be a suitable expression platform for proteins not carrying N-linked glycans in the native hosts. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a strategy to produce target proteins in a non-glycosylated form while preserving their native sequence, conformation and biological activity. Previously, we developed a strategy for enzymatic deglycosylation of proteins in planta by co-expressing bacterial peptide-N-glycosidase F (PNGase F). Though PNGase F removes oligosaccharides from glycosylated proteins, in so doing it causes an amino acid change due to the deamidation of asparagine to aspartate in the N-X-S/T site. Endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (EC3.2.1.96, Endo H), another deglycosylating enzyme, catalyzes cleavage between two N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine residues of the chitobiose core of N-linked glycans, leaving a single N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine residue without the concomitant deamidation of asparagine. In this study, a method for in vivo deglycosylation of recombinant proteins in plants by transient co-expression with bacterial Endo H is described for the first time. Endo H was fully active in vivo. and successfully cleaved N-linked glycans from glycoproteins were tested. In addition, unlike the glycosylated form, in vivo Endo H deglycosylated Pfs48/45 was recognized by conformational specific Pfs48/45 monoclonal antibody, in a manner similar to its PNGase F deglycosylated counterpart. Furthermore, the deglycosylated PA83 molecule produced by Endo H showed better stability than a PNGase F deglycosylated counterpart. Thus, an Endo H in vivo deglycosylation approach provides another opportunity to develop vaccine antigens, therapeutic proteins, antibodies, and industrial enzymes.