DIAGNOSTIC KITS FOR SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME COMPRISING NUCLEOCAPSID PROTEIN FROM SARS CORONA VIRUS EXPRESSED IN PLANTS WHICH HAS IMPROVED ANTIGENICITY AND IS CHEAPLY PRODUCED

摘要

PURPOSE: Diagnostic kits for severe acute respiratory syndrome comprising nucleocapsid protein from Sars corona virus expressed in plants are provided, thereby cheaply producing the recombinant nucleocapsid protein of Sars corona virus having improved antigenicity, and diagnosing the severe acute respiratory syndrome with improved sensitivity and specificity using the nucleocapsid protein. CONSTITUTION: A plant expression vector comprises (i) a polynucleotide encoding the nucleocapsid protein of Sars corona virus of SEQ ID NO:1; (ii) a promoter which is operably linked to the polynucleotide and forms RNA molecules in a plant cell; and (iii) 3'-untranslated region causing polyadenylation of 3'-terminal of the RNA molecule. A method for producing the nucleocapsid protein of Sars corona virus from plants comprises the steps of: (a) transforming plant cells with the plant expression vector; (b) selecting a transformed plant cell; (c) regenerating the transformed plant cell into a plant to obtain a transformed plant; and (d) obtaining the nucleocapsid protein of Sars corona virus from the transformed plant. The diagnostic kit for severe acute respiratory syndrome comprises the nucleocapsid protein of Sars corona virus as an antigen.