University of Cape Town

Inga Isabel Becker-Hitzeroth

Edward Peter Rybicki

Anna-Lise Williamson

James Malcolm Maclean

The invention relates to a method of producing an influenza virus H5 polypeptide in a plant comprising the steps of cloning an influenza H5 gene or nucleic acid encoding its functional equivalent into a vector adapted to target components present in the plant, infiltrating at least a portion of the plant with the vector or transforming plant tissue with the vector so as to transiently express the influenza virus H5 polypeptide, and/or to create a transgenic plant; and recover the influenza virus H5 polypeptide expressed by the plant. The invention further relates to vectors, transgenic plants or parts thereof and the progeny of such plants used in or which come about as a result of the method.

Expression of proteins in plants

The invention relates to a method of producing a HPV polypeptides and/or an influenza virus H5 polypeptide in a plant comprising the steps of cloning a HPV gene; and/or an influenza virus H5 gene or nucleic acid encoding their functional equivalents into a vector adapted to target components present in the plant, infiltrating at least a portion of the plant with the vector or transforming plant tissue with the vector so as to transiently express the HPV polypeptides and/or an influenza virus H5 polypeptide, and/or to create a transgenic plant; and recovering the HPV polypeptides and/or an influenza virus H5 polypeptide expressed by the plant. The invention further relates to vectors, transgenic plants or parts thereof and the progeny of such plants used in or which come about as a result of the method.

Growing community of inventors

Cape Town, South Africa

Inga Isabel Becker-Hitzeroth