PRODUCTION OF FOREIGN POLYPEPTIDES IN PLANTS AS VIRAL COAT PROTEIN FUSIONS

摘要

The present invention relates to foreign peptide sequences fused to the amin o- terminal of plant viral structural proteins and a method of their production . Fusion proteins are economically synthesized in plants at high levels by biologically contained tobamoviruses. The foreign peptide sequences can be cleaved from the fusion proteins by proteolytic enzymes or chemical reagents . The foreign peptide sequences of the invention have many uses. Such uses include use as antigens for inducing the production of antibodies having desired binding properties, e.g., protective antibodies, for use as vaccine antigens for the induction of protective immunity, including immunity agains t parasitic infections, for use as a protein involved in hormonal activity, or for use as a protein involved in immunoregulatory activity.