Double-stranded DNA copy of a coxsackievirus A17 genome without the capsid-encoding region, cloned into a plasmid backbone downstream a T7 promoter. After in vitro transcription, the corresponding RNA can be transfected into cells to give rise to a replicon that is self-replicative and can express the non-structural virus proteins but is unable to produce infectious particles. The plasmid can be amplified in E. coli.