Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Antigen – epitope – or other immunospecific immunoeffector
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-24
2001-10-23
Swart, Rodney P. (Department: 1645)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Antigen, epitope, or other immunospecific immunoeffector
C424S009200, C435S006120, C435S243000, C435S252100, C435S260000, C530S300000, C530S350000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06306394
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to granulocytic ehrlichia (GE) proteins. In particular, the present invention relates to nucleic acid molecules coding for GE W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 proteins; purified GE W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 proteins and polypeptides; recombinant nucleic acid molecules; cells containing the recombinant nucleic acid molecules; antibodies having binding affinity specifically to GE W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 proteins and polypeptides; hybridomas containing the antibodies; nucleic acid probes for the detection of nucleic acids encoding GE W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 proteins; a method of detecting nucleic acids encoding GE W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 proteins or polypeptides in a sample; kits containing nucleic acid probes or antibodies; bioassays using the nucleic acid sequence, protein or antibodies of this invention to diagnose, assess, or prognose a mammal afflicted with ehrlichiosis; therapeutic uses, specifically vaccines comprising W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 proteins or polypeptides; and methods of preventing or inhibiting ehrlichiosis in an animal.
2. Related Art
GE is an acute, potentially fatal tick-borne infection. The causative agent, GE, has been identified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using universal primers for eubacterial 16S ribosomal RNA to amplify the DNA of infected patients' blood (Chen et al.,
J. Clin. Micro.
32:589-595, 1994). Comparison of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of GE to other known 16S rDNA sequences revealed a nearly identical match to the 16S genes of
Ehrlichia phagocytophila
and
Ehrlichia equi
(Chen et al., 1994). Two other groups of Ehrlichia species have also been categorized according to their 16S rRNA gene sequences, the
Ehrlichia canis
and
Ehrlichia sennetsu
groups. The
E. canis
and
E. sennetsu
species predominantly infect mononuclear phagocytes (Dumler et al.,
N. Eng. J. Med.
325:1109-1110 (1991)) whereas members of the
E. phagocytophila
group including GE are tropic for granulocytes (Ristic et al., in
Bergey's Manual of Systemic Bacteriology,
Kreig et al., eds., (1984), pp. 704-709). The near identity of the 16S rRNA gene sequences and the sharing of significant antigenicity by IFA and immunoblot (Dumler et al.,
J. Clin. Micro.
33:1098-1103 (1995)) indicate that
E. phagocytophila, E. equi
and GE are closely related.
Full classification of the
E. phagocytophila
Ehrlichia species including antigenic relationships among the individual isolates has been impeded by the inability to cultivate these organisms in cell culture. It has been shown that GE can be successfully cultivated in HL60 cells, a human promyelocytic leukemia cell line (Coughlin et al., PCT Application No. PCT/US96/10117; Goodman et al.,
N. Eng. J. Med.
334:209-215 (1996)). Walker et al., PCT Application No. PCT/US97/09147 teaches an isolated gene encoding a 120 kDa immunodominant antigen of
E. chaffeensis
that stimulates production of specific antibodies in infected humans.
The present invention describes GE specific genes encoding eleven different proteins (W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 proteins) which can be used as diagnostic reagents and vaccines.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules coding for polypeptides comprising amino acid sequences corresponding to GE W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 proteins.
The invention further provides purified polypeptides comprising amino acid sequences corresponding to GE W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 proteins.
The invention also provides nucleic acid probes for the specific detection of the presence of GE W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 proteins or polypeptides in a sample.
The invention further provides a method of detecting nucleic acid encoding GE W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 protein in a sample.
The invention also provides a kit for detecting the presence of nucleic acid encoding GE W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 protein in a sample.
The invention further provides a recombinant nucleic acid molecule comprising, 5′ to 3′, a promoter effective to initiate transcription in a host cell and the above-described isolated nucleic acid molecule.
The invention also provides a recombinant nucleic acid molecule comprising a vector and the above-described isolated nucleic acid molecule.
The invention further provides a recombinant nucleic acid molecule comprising a sequence complimentary to an RNA sequence encoding an amino acid sequence corresponding to the above-described polypeptide.
The invention also provides a cell that contains the above-described recombinant nucleic acid molecule.
The invention further provides a non-human organism that contains the above-described recombinant nucleic acid molecule.
The invention also provides an antibody having binding affinity specifically to a GE W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 protein or polypeptide.
The invention further provides a method of detecting GE W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 protein or polypeptide in a sample.
The invention also provides a method of measuring the amount of GE W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 protein or polypeptide in a sample.
The invention further provides a method of detecting antibodies having binding affinity specifically to a GE W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 protein or polypeptide.
The invention further provides a diagnostic kit comprising a first container means containing the above-described antibody, and a second container means containing a conjugate comprising a binding partner of the monoclonal antibody and a label.
The invention also provides a hybridoma which produces the above-described monoclonal antibody.
The invention further provides diagnostic methods for ehrlichiosis. More specifically, the invention further provides a method for identifying granulocytic Ehrlichia in an animal comprising analyzing tissue or body fluid from the animal for a W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 nucleic acid, protein, polysaccharide, or antibody.
The invention also provides methods for therapeutic uses involving all or part of the GE W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 nucleic acid or protein. More specifically, the invention further provides a vaccine comprising a W20.1, W20.2, B3, E74.3, E74.4, E82.2, E82.3, E8, E46.1, E46.2, and E80 protein or nucleic acid together with a pharmaceutically acceptable diluent, carrier, or excipient, wherein the protein or nucleic acid is present in an amount effective to elicit a beneficial immune response in an animal to the protein.
The invention also provides a method of preventing or inhibiting ehrlichiosis in an animal comprising administering to the animal the above-described vaccine.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be clear from the description that follows.
DEFINITIONS
In the description that follows, a number of terms used in recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology are extensively utilized. In order to provide a clear and consistent understanding of the specification and claims, including the scope to be given such terms, the following definitions are provided.
Isolated Nucleic Acid Molecule. An “isolated nucleic acid molecule”, as is generally understood and used herein, refers to a polymer of nucleotides, and includes but should not be limited to DNA and RNA.
Recombinant DNA. Any DNA mo
Beltz Gerald A.
Coughlin Richard T.
Murphy Cheryl
Storey James
Aquila Biopharmaceuticals Inc.
Pennie & Edmonds LLP
Swart Rodney P.
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