Production of peptides in plants as viral coat protein fusions

Abstract

The present invention relates to foreign peptide sequences fused to recombinant 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 fusion proteins 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, or for use as vaccine antigens for the induction of protective immunity, including immunity against parasitic infections.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A polynucleotide encoding fusion protein, the fusion protein consisting essentially of a tobamovirus coat protein fused to a protein of interest at a fusion joint.  
     
     
         2 . A polynucleotide according to  claim 1 , wherein the fusion is an amino terminus fusion.  
     
     
         3 . A polynucleotide according to  claim 1 , wherein the fusion is a carboxy terminus fusion.  
     
     
         4 . A polynucleotide according to  claim 1 , wherein the fusion is an internal fusion.  
     
     
         5 . A polynucleotide according to  claim 1 , wherein the fusion joint comprises a leaky stop codon.  
     
     
         6 . A polynucleotide according to  claim 1 , wherein the fusion joint comprises a leaky start codon.  
     
     
         7 . A polynucleotide according to  claim 1 , wherein the protein of interest is an antigen.  
     
     
         8 . A polynucleotide according to  claim 1 , wherein the coat protein is a tobacco mosaic virus coat protein.  
     
     
         9 . A recombinant plant viral genome comprising a polynucleotide according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         10 . A recombinant plant virus particle, comprising a genome according to  claim 9 .  
     
     
         11 . A polypeptide encoded by a polynucleotide according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         12 . A recombinant plant virus, wherein the coat protein is encoded by a polynucleotide according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         13 . A plant cell comprising a polynucleotide according to  claim 9.