Plant virus vector, plasmid, process for expression of foreign gene and process for obtaining foreign gene product

A process for systemically expressing a fusion protein of a coat protein and a foreign protein in a plant comprising the steps of:

• (a) inoculating a plant with a plant virus vector, wherein the plant virus vector comprises a viral assembly origin and a foreign protein gene linked downstream of a coat protein gene of a Tobamovirus via a nucleotide sequence of a Tobamovirus which causes readthrough, such that upon expression of the vector in the plant, the coat protein and the fusion protein are systemically produced in the plant;
• and
• (b) expressing the fusion protein systemically in the plant.

A virion particle comprising a coat protein of a Tobamovirus and a fusion protein of the coat protein and a foreign protein.

A process for systemically expressing a fusion protein of a coat protein of a Tobamovirus and a foreign protein in a plant comprising the steps of:

• (a) inoculating a plant with a plant virus vector, such that upon expression of the vector in a plant, the coat protein of a Tobamovirus and the fusion protein of the coat protein and the foreign protein are systemically produced in the plant;
• and
• (b) expressing the fusion protein systemically in the plant.

A tobacco mosaic viral (TMV) vector comprising a TMV assembly origin and a foreign protein gene linked downstream of a TMV coat protein gene via a TMV nucleotide readthrough sequence, such that upon expression of the vector in a plant, the TMV coat protein and a fusion protein of the coat protein and the foreign protein are systemically produced in the plant, wherein said readthrough sequence is from a 130/180K protein gene, UAGCAAUUA or the corresponding DNA sequence TAACAATTA, UAACAAUUA or the corresponding DNA sequence TAACAATTA, UGACAAUUA or the corresponding DNA sequence TGACAATTA, or UAGCARYYA or the corresponding DNA sequence TAGCARYYA, wherein italicized lettering indicates a stop codon, R is A or G, and Y is C, U or T.

A process for systemically expressing a fusion protein of a TMV coat protein and a foreign protein in a plant comprising the steps of:

• (a) inoculating a plant with a TMV vector comprising a TMV assembly origin and a foreign protein gene linked downstream of a TMV coat protein gene via a TMV readthrough sequence, such that upon expression of the vector in the plant, the TMV coat protein and the fusion protein are systemically produced in the plant, wherein said readthrough sequence is from a 130/180K protein gene, UAGCAAUUA or the corresponding DNA sequence TAGCAATTA, UAACAAUUA or the corresponding DNA sequence TAACAATAA, TGACAAUUA or the corresponding DNA sequence TGACAATTA, or UAGCARYYA or the corresponding DNA sequence TAGCARYYA, wherein italicized lettering indicates a stop codon, R is A or G, and Y is C, U or T, and
• (b) expressing the fusion protein systemically in the plant.