Expression of human hepatitis C virus core antigen in tobacco plants by tobacco mosaic virus-based vector system

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) has the potential to highly express foreign gene . A novel TMV-based in trans expression system was constructed. A TMV mutan t TSHc had its coat protein replaced with hepatitis C virus (HCV) core anti gen gene. Another TMV mutant TSBD was replicase-detective. Coinfection of t he two mutants could cause systemic infection in tobacco plants by in trans complementation of their functions. TSHc could effectively replicate and a ssemble to viral particles, which were a little longer than that of wild-ty pe TMV. HCV core antigen was expressed in whole tobacco plants. A similar e xpression lever of HCV core antigen was detected on serial passages, which suggested that this viral expression system be stable.