Herpes simplex virus glycoprotein d variants

Abstract

The present invention provides variant HSV-1 glycoprotein D and HSV-2 glycoprotein D molecules capable of preventing infection of cells by herpes simplex virus types 1 and/or 2. Also provided are novel purified and isolated polynucleotides encoding the variant gD molecules. HSV gD-1 and gD-2 region IV variants or fragments thereof are specifically contemplated by the invention. The presently preferred variant molecule gD-1(.DELTA.290-299t) is the product of recombinant expression in Sf9 cells of a fusion protein including the signal peptide of honeybee melittin and Patton strain HSV-1 gD wherein (1) the Patton strain amino acid residues 290 through 299 of the mature gD-1 protein have been replaced with the amino acid residues arginine, lysine, isoleucine and phenylalanine, and (2) Patton strain amino acid residues 308 through 369 have been replaced with five histidine residues. When expressed in Sf9 cells, cleavage of the melittin signal peptide results in the presence of aspartate and proline residues at the amino terminus of the variant molecule. The amino acid sequence of gD-1(.DELTA.290-299t) is set out in SEQ ID NO: 2 and the preferred DNA sequence encoding gD-1(.DELTA.290-299t) is set out in SEQ ID NO: 1. Administration of gD variant molecules of the invention to mammalian subjects, especially humans, for the purpose of preventing HSV infection and/or ameliorating pathological sequelae of HSV infection is specifically contemplated.