Production of hepatitis B virus core particles protein in plants, by using cowpea mosaic virus-based vector
Meshcheriakova, I.A.; El'darov, M.A.; Beales, L.; Skriabin, K.G.; Lomonossoff, G.P.
Voprosy Virusologii 53(3): 15-20
2008
ISSN/ISBN: 0507-4088 PMID: 18590129 Document Number: 621491
The core antigen of hepatitis B virus (HBcAg) has attracted considerable attention as a carrier for antigenic sequences for various diagnostic and vaccine applications. The hepatitis B core protein has been expressed in different expression systems. At present, for reasons of cost, scale, and safety, the plant-based expression systems are attracting increasing interest. The expression and assembly for the hepatitis B core protein were investigating in N. benthamiana plants using the new expression system based on deleted version of cowpea mosaic virus RNA-2. Analysis of HBcAg expression revealed that the core protein expressed in plants and could self-assemble into virus-like particles. Virus-like particles could be purified by differential and sucrose gradient centrifugation. This expression system has the advantage of biocontainment and can be used for the rapid production of HBcAg virus-like particles for immunological and vaccine applications.