What are Recombinant Proteins?

May 31, 2024

Researchers at the Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, have developed a novel method for the production of recombinant proteins.

About Recombinant Proteins:

  • These are proteins encoded by recombinant DNA that have been cloned in an expression vector that supports the expression of the gene and translation of messenger RNA.
  • Modification of the gene by recombinant DNA technology can lead to the expression of a mutant protein.
  • It is a manipulated form of native protein, which is generated in various ways in order to increase the production of proteins, modify gene sequences and manufacture useful commercial products.
  • It is created by fusing sequences that may not be normally present in an organism.
  • Recombinant proteins, such as vaccine antigens, insulin and monoclonal antibodies, are mass-produced by growing modified bacterial, viral or mammalian cells in large bioreactors. The most widely used organism is the yeast Pichia pastoris (now called Komagataella phaffii).
  • Application of Recombinant Proteins
    • It is used in biomedical research to understand health and disease.
    • It is used in Biotherapeutics.
    • It is used to produce protein-based polymers for drug delivery, antibodies and enzymes for disease treatment, protein scaffolds for tissue engineering etc.

What is protein?

  • It is the workhorse in biological systems facilitating most of biological processes in a cell, including gene expression, cell growth, proliferation, nutrient uptake, intercellular communication and apoptosis.
  • The blue print for protein synthesis is stored in DNA, which serves as a template for highly regulated transcriptional processes to produce messenger RNA (mRNA). 

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