Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Antigen – epitope – or other immunospecific immunoeffector – Fusion protein or fusion polypeptide
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-05
2003-08-05
Scheiner, Laurie (Department: 1648)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Antigen, epitope, or other immunospecific immunoeffector
Fusion protein or fusion polypeptide
C424S186100, C424S221100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06602504
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to canine coronavirus infections, and specifically to proteins useful in prophylaxis, therapy, and diagnosis of these infections in canines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The coronaviruses are a large family of mammalian and avian pathogens which were first described in 1968. They are the causative agents of several diseases including encephalitis, hepatitis, peritonitis and gastroenteritis. Enteric coronaviruses have been detected in the feces of man, pigs, calves, cats, mice, chickens and dogs.
Canine coronavirus (CCV) enteritis was first isolated from dogs suffering an acute gastroenteritis, as reported by Binn et al.,
Proc.
78
th Ann. Mtg. U.S. Animal Health Assoc.
, Roanoke Va., pp. 359-366 (1974). The disease became prevalent during the 1970s. CCV gastroenteritis appears to be primarily transmitted through fecal contamination from infected dogs via the oral route, leading ultimately to replication of the virus in the epithelial cells of the small intestine. Virus can be recovered from the feces of an infected dog between 3 and 14 days after infection.
CCV gastroenteritis is characterized by a mild depression, anorexia and loose stool from which the dog usually recovers. The onset of the disease is often sudden, accompanied by such symptoms as diarrhea, vomiting, excreted blood in stools, and dehydration. Deaths have occurred within as little as 24 to 36 hours after onset of clinical signs. Most dogs appear afebrile but elevated body temperature is seen in some cases. Often CCV will occur with a canine parvovirus infection and this coinfection can be fatal.
Serologically the disease is closely related to transmissible gastroenteritis virus of swine (TGEV). Although canine coronavirus does not infect pigs, transmissible gastroenteritis virus produces a subclinical infection in dogs. However, unlike the feline infectious peritonitis coronavirus (FIPV), previous exposure to CCV does not predispose dogs to enhanced disease; and antigen-antibody complexes, if formed, are not associated with disease pathology.
There remains a need in the art for compositions useful in diagnosing, treating and preventing infections with canine coronaviruses.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect the present invention provides the complete nucleotide sequence of the CCV S gene, strain 1-71, SEQ ID NO: 1. The S gene or fragments thereof may be useful in diagnostic compositions for CCV infection.
In another aspect the present invention provides a CCV S (or spike) protein characterized by the amino acid sequence of a CCV S protein, SEQ ID NO: 2, and peptide fragments thereof. These proteins may be optionally fused or linked to other fusion proteins or molecules.
Thus, in another aspect, the present invention provides a vaccine composition containing an effective immunogenic amount of at least one CCV S protein or an immunogenic fragment thereof.
In still another aspect, the invention provides a method of vaccinating an animal against infection with a coronavirus by administering an effective amount of a vaccine composition of this invention.
In yet a further aspect, the present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of CCV infection comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a CCV S peptide or protein of the invention and a pharmaceutically effective carrier.
Still another aspect of this invention is an antibody directed to CCV, which antibody is capable of distinguishing between CCV and other canine viruses. These antibodies may also be employed as diagnostic or therapeutic reagents.
In yet another aspect, a diagnostic reagent of the present invention comprises a CCV S protein or fragment thereof. In another aspect, the present invention provides a diagnostic reagent which comprises a nucleotide sequence which encodes a CCV S protein or fragment of the invention, and/or a nucleotide sequence which flanks the coding region, or fragments thereof. These protein and nucleotide sequences are optionally associated with detectable labels. Such diagnostic reagents may be used to assay for the presence of CCV in dogs using standard assay formats and can form components of a diagnostic kit.
In a further aspect, the invention provides a method of using a diagnostic reagent of this invention to identify dogs which are uninfected or which have been previously exposed to CCV. The diagnostic method can differentiate exposure to CCV from exposure to other related coronaviruses, allow the identification of dogs which have been vaccinated against these diseases, and allow one to distinguish between different strains of CCV, or to identify dogs at advanced stages of CCV infection.
In yet a further aspect, the invention provides a method for the production of a recombinant CCV protein comprising culturing a selected host cell, e.g., a mammalian cell or viral vector, transformed with a DNA sequence encoding a selected CCV S protein or fragment thereof in operative association with regulatory sequences capable of regulating the expression of said protein.
Another aspect of the invention is a recombinant DNA molecule comprising a DNA sequence coding for a selected portion of a canine coronavirus S protein, the DNA sequences in operative association with regulatory sequences capable of directing the expression thereof in host cells.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention are described further in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides novel isolated canine coronavirus (CCV) S proteins and fragments thereof, as well as isolated nucleotide sequences encoding the proteins or fragments. These proteins and fragments are useful for diagnostic, vaccinal and therapeutic compositions as well as methods for using these compositions in the diagnosis, prophylaxis and treatment of CCV-related and other coronavirus-related conditions.
I. Definitions
As defined herein, an amino acid fragment is any amino acid sequence from at least about 8 amino acids in length up to about the full-length CCV S gene protein. A nucleotide fragment defines a nucleotide sequence which encodes from at least about 8 amino acids in length up to about the full-length CCV S gene protein.
The term “region” refers to all or a portion of a gene or protein, which may contain one or more fragments as defined above.
The term “immunogenic” refers to any S gene protein or fragment thereof, any molecule, protein, peptide, carbohydrate, virus, region or portion thereof which is capable of eliciting a protective immune response in a host, e.g., an animal, into which it is introduced.
The term “antigenic” refers only to the ability of a molecule, protein, peptide, carbohydrate, virus, region or portion thereof to elicit antibody formation in a host (not necessarily protective).
As used herein, the term “epitope” refers to a region of a protein which is involved in its immunogenicity, and can include regions which induce B cell and/or T cell responses.
As used herein, the term “B cell site or T cell site” defines a region of the protein which is a site for B cell or T cell binding. Preferably this term refers to sites which are involved in the immunogenicity of the protein.
II. Sources of CCV Sequences
The examples below specifically refer to newly identified spike gene sequences from canine coronavirus (CCV) strain 1-71. This strain is deposited with the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), 12301 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, Md. under Accession No. VR-809. Particularly disclosed are nucleotide and amino acid sequences, SEQ ID NO: 1 and 2, respectively, of the CCV S gene.
The present invention is not limited to the particular CCV strain employed in the examples. Other CCV strains have been described, e.g., strain CCV-TN449 [ATCC 2068]. Utilizing the teachings of this invention, analogous fragments of other canine coronavirus strains can be identified and used in the compositions of this invention.
IIl. CCV Nucleotide and Amino Acid Sequences of the In
Jones Elaine V.
Klepfer Sharon
Miller Timothy J.
Reed Albert Paul
Donahue E. Victor
Ginsburg Paul H.
Pfizer Inc.
Richardson Peter C.
Scheiner Laurie
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