We have developed a new tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) RNA vector and have used it initially to systemically produce an angiotensin-I-converting enzyme inhibitor peptide (ACEI) in tobacco and tomato plants. This vector incorporates a six base 3' context sequence, which permits readthrough of the stop codon for the TMV 130K protein gene, inserted between the stop codon for the coat protein (CP) gene and ACEI gene. In contrast to previous TMV RNA vectors, the new vector produced both an intact CP and a fused protein consisting of CP and ACEI (CP-ACEI). As a result, the vector could form virus particles and spread systemically from inoculated to non-inoculated leaves. In tomato plants, production of ACEI in fruit was also achieved.

No abstract