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-basedin trans expression system was constructed. A TMV mutant TSHc had its coat protein replaced with hepatitis C virus (HCV) core antigen gene. Anotherr TMV mutant TSBD was replicase-defective. Coinfection of the two mutants could cause systemic infection in tobacco plants byin trans complementation of their functions. TSHc could effectively replicate and assemble to viral particles, which were a little longer than that of wild-type TMV. HCV core antigen was expressed in whole tobacco plants. A similar expression level of HCV core antigen was detected on serial passages, which suggested that this viral expression system be stable.