Expression vectors for the construction of hybrid Ty-VLPs.

Purification of expressed proteins can be facilitated by expressing the recombinant protein as a fusion with a carrier protein that assembles into particulate structures. This article describes the use of expression vectors in producing a hybrid of the yeast retrotransposon Ty, which self-assembles into virus-like particles (VLPs). Hybrid VLPs can be used in such laboratory applications as the production of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, structure/function analyses, the detection of important antigenic determinants, and epitope mapping of monoclonal antibodies.