Expression of bioactive recombinant human fibroblast growth factor 9 in oil bodies of Arabidopsis thaliana

• The rhFGF9 protein was expressed in plants for the first time.
• The oleosin-fusion technology was first used to express rhFGF9 protein.
• The oil bodies that expressed oleosin–rhFGF9 can stimulate proliferation of NIH/3T3 cells.

Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) has autocrine and paracrine functions in chondrogenesis osteogenesis, hair growth, and gonadal differentiation. We have expressed recombinant human FGF9 (rhFGF9) in the oil bodies of Arabidopsis thaliana via the floral dip method. The expression vector pOTB–rhFGF9 contained an oleosin–rhFGF9 fusion gene and a glufosinate resistance gene for selection. This plasmid was transformed into A. thaliana and expression of the fusion protein oleosin–rhFGF9 confirmed by SDS–PAGE and Western blotting. Furthermore, MTT assays demonstrated that the oil bodies expressed oleosin–rhFGF9 from the transgenic A. thaliana had a remarkable proliferation effect on NIH/3T3 cells.