American Biogenetic Sciences, Inc.

University of Iowa Research Foundation

American Biogenetic Science, Inc.

Elliot D Rosen

Malcolm J Fraser

Victoria A Ploplis

Jack T Stapleton

James H McLinden

Patricia L Winokur

The present invention is directed to genetically engineered expression systems which encode a recombinant Hepatitis A virus (HAV) proteins capable of forming capsid particles. By way of example baculovirus vectors were utilized in order to express recombinant HAV proteins. The recombinant baculoviruses of the invention are formed by replacing regions of the polyhedrin structural gene coding sequences with HAV DNA by recombinant DNA techniques. Additionally, the polyhedrin transcriptional initiation site is altered in these recombinant baculoviruses such that only HAV proteins and not polyhedrin protein sequences are expressed from the polyhedrin promoter. The recombinant HAV capsid particles produced in accordance with the present invention can be particularly useful as vaccines.

Recombianant Hepatitis a virus

The present invention relates to recombinant vector/host systems which can direct the expression of foreign genes under the control of the Heliothis polyhedrin promoter. Using the systems of the present invention, a heterologous gene of interest can be expressed as an unfused peptide or protein, a fusion protein, or as a recombinant occlusion body which comprises crystallized polyhedrin fusion proteins bearing the heterologous gene product on the surface of or within the occlusion body. The recombinant proteins or occlusion bodies of the present invention have uses in vaccine formulations and immunoassays, as biological insecticides, and as expression systems for the production of foreign peptides or proteins.

Heliothis expression systems

The present invention is directed to recombinant baculoviruses which encode fusion polyhedrin proteins capable of forming occlusion bodies containing foreign peptides. The recombinant baculoviruses of the invention are formed by insertion into or replacement of regions of the polyhedrin gene that are not essential for occlusion body formation, with foreign DNA fragments by recombinant DNA techniques. The recombinant occlusion bodies produced in accordance with the present invention have uses in vaccine formulations, immunoassays, immobilized enzyme reactions, as biological insecticides, and as expression vectors.

Recombinant baculovirus occlusion bodies in vaccines and biological

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South Bend, IN, United States of America

Elliot D Rosen