Recombinant and Subunit Vaccines,Plant Genome,Plant Virus,Cowpea Mosaic Virus (CPMV),Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV)

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	Recombinant and Subunit Vaccines - Plants can serve as efficient production systems for antigenic recombinant subunit proteins, which can be purified and used as vaccines. There are two distinct strategies for the production of recombinant antigens in plants: (i) integration of the trans gene into plant genome, and (ii) expression as a coat protein fusion of a plant virus. The transgene encoding the antigenic protein may be integrated into the plant genome, and the recombinant protein produced by the plant is purified for use as a vaccine.
The antigens need neither be active nor used orally; they can be administered parenterally. Alternatively, the DNA sequence representing the epitope of the concerned antigen can be fused with the coat protein gene of a plant virus, e.g., tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) or cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV). The recombinant virus is used to infect plants where the virus multiplies and spreads systemically in the plants. The virus particles are purified from the infected plants and may be used for oral or parenteral immunization. The antigen epitope is displayed on the coat protein, and is present in a particulate form (virions), which is highly immunogenic.