Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique

Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique-cnrs

Institut Pasteur De Lille

Inserm (institut National De La Sante Et De La Recherche Medicale)

Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire De Lille

Universitë{umlaut Over ( )}de Lille

Jean Dubuisson

Czeslaw Wychowski

Gilles Duverlie

André Pillez

Laurence Cocquerel-Deproy

Claire Montpellier

Anne Goffard

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is responsible for over 50% of acute viral hepatitis cases worldwide. The inventors have now identified the precise sequence of infectious particle-associated ORF2 capsid protein. Strikingly, their analyses revealed that in infected patients, HEV produces three forms of the ORF2 capsid protein: ORF2i, ORF2g and ORF2c. The ORF2i protein is associated with infectious particles whereas ORF2g and ORF2c proteins are massively produced glycoproteins that are not associated with infectious particles and are the major antigens present in HEV-infected patient sera. Accordingly, the ORF2i and ORF2g proteins are thus the subject matter of the present invention as well as antibodies specific for the proteins and diagnostic assays (e.g. ELISA) for the diagnosis of Hepatitis E virus infection.

Hepatitis E virus ORF2 capsid polypeptides and uses thereof

The invention concerns the use of cells capable of carrying out a process of prenylation of proteins coded by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome, such as prenylation of the NS5A protein, for replicating and, if required, the production of HCV or derivative viable mutants, in a suitable culture medium.

Nucleotide sequences coding for the non-structural proteins of the hepatitis C virus

Method for replicating the hepatitis C virus

Growing community of inventors

Faches-Thumesnil, France

Jean Dubuisson