Modified plant viruses as vectors
AssigneesAxis Genetics PLC, Purdue Research Foundation
InventorsGeorge Peter Lomonossoff, John Emil Johnson
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Abstract
The invention relates to assembled particles of a plant virus containing a predetermined foreign peptide as part of the coat protein of the virus, and a method for their production. The foreign peptide is preferably a biologically functional peptide, the biological application of which requires or is enhanced by presentation of the peptide in association with a larger molecule or particle.
Claims18
Assembled particles of a plant virus containing a foreign peptide encoded by an exogenous nucleotide sequence as part of the coat protein of the virus, the particles having been assembled in whole plants or in plant cells, and wherein the coat protein of the virus has a .beta.-barrel structure and said virus is selected from the group consisting of Comoviruses, Tombusviruses, Sobemoviruses, and Nepoviruses, and the site of insertion of the foreign peptide is in a loop between individual strands of .beta. sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.