ABSTRACT
HIV p24 core protein can induce both cellular and neutralizing antibody responses.HIV-1 CA-virus-like particles(VLPs)vaccines provide a promising approach for the development of an effective vaccination strategy against HIV infection.Rhizosecreion of the recombinant proteins provides a new manufacturing platform that can simplify the extraction and purification procedure.Lycium barbarum L.was transformed by Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105 harboring the plant expression vector pCAMBIA1305.2-MA4-CA with a GRP signal peptide and MA4-CA fusion gene.Transgenic hairy roots were induced and cultivated in hydroponic culture.Western blotting indicated that the recombinant CA proteins were present in two forms,a glycosylated monomer(37 kDa)and a dimer(50 kDa)in the roots and hydroponic medium.It appeared from the present immunohistochemical data that the recombinant CA proteins fused with GRP signal peptide were confined to the cytoplasm,cell wall and intercellular space,indicating targeting into the secretory pathway.It demonstrated for the first time the rhizosecretion of HIV-1 recombinant capsid protein in Lycium barbarum L.hairy roots,and may offer a novel method for expressing HIV-1 CA-VLPs vaccines in plants.