Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Antigen – epitope – or other immunospecific immunoeffector – Amino acid sequence disclosed in whole or in part; or...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-21
2002-01-29
Bui, Phuong T. (Department: 1638)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Antigen, epitope, or other immunospecific immunoeffector
Amino acid sequence disclosed in whole or in part; or...
C435S007920, C435S007100, C435S069100, C530S300000, C536S023720, C424S184100, C424S185100, C424S193100, C424S218100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06342222
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to recombinant DNA and proteins encoded thereby having use in provision of vaccines, diagnostics test kits and methods of diagnosis for equine arteritis virus (EAV) and equine arteritis virus mediated disease.
Equine viral arteritis, a disease for which horses and donkeys are the only reported hosts, has been known for some 40 years and manifests itself with widely varying clinical signs. In its most severe form EAV infection causes abortion which makes it a potentially significant commercial threat to, inter alia, the race horse breeding industry. Early veterinary articles refer to it as epizootic cellulitus pinkeye or equine influenza. Disease outbreaks are identified infrequently and field isolates of the single stranded RNA virus itself are rare.
The virus is transmitted by the respiratory and venereal routes, with a 30% carrier state existing in seropositive stallions making the latter route a particular cause for concern as these shedding stallions may consequently infect brood-mares. In the light of the potential economic importance of the virus and its stud carrier mediated infection capability there exist a requirement for both prophylactic treatment and reliable diagnosis of EAV.
Laboratory tests based upon ELISA, virus neutralisation (VN) and complement fixation (CF) formats have been developed (see Chirnside (1992) Br. vet. J. 148 pp181). The known ELISA is relatively insensitive when applied to tissues, eg. sera, from horses previously vaccinated for other diseases such as influenza and herpesvirus, while the VN and CF formats have limited temporal sensitivity; the VN test is unable to distinguish between vaccination and natural infection.
Vaccination procedures have concentrated on safety and efficacy of whole inactivated virus and attenuated live virus vaccine. The live vaccine can induce shedding of virus from the nasopharynx and does not prevent this causing infection of commonly housed animals that have not been so treated. The known formalinised vaccine does not provide reliable protection.
Attempts to provide improvements to both diagnostic tests and vaccines have included studies into panels of antibodies raised against various EAV proteins. A 29K envelope protein in particular has been identified as antigenic and capable of causing production of neutralising antibodies in mouse (Balasuriya et al (1993) Journal of General Virology, 74, p2525-2529). The identity of this protein is unknown but work reported since the priority date of the present application by Deregt et al (J. General Virology 75, pp2439-2444) has shown that some monoclonal antibodies raised to G
L
protein are EAV neutralising, as are those to the nucleocapsid N protein. Results of tests in horse have yet to be reported.
The present inventor now provides isolated peptides that produce a potent neutralising immune response against EAV when administered to animals, particularly horses, and these peptides provide sensitive detection of EAV antibodies when used as binding agent in binding assay format. Further provided is DNA encoding for these peptides.
In a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a peptide or peptide conjugate comprising one or more epitopes capable of evoking an immune response in animals producing antibodies which are neutralising to equine arteritis virus, characterised in that the epitopes are selected from those present in the amino acid sequence corresponding to amino acid 19 to 137 (SEQ ID No 3) of equine arteritis virus (EAV) G
L
protein; the peptide not being the G
L
protein.
Preferred peptides or peptide conjugates of the invention comprise the epitopes present in the amino acid sequence corresponding to amino acid 28 to 137 (SEQ ID No 4), more preferably 75 to 97 (SEQ ID No 5) and most preferably 85 to 97 (SEQ ID No 7) of EAV G
L
. Preferred peptides or peptide conjugates comprise the amino acid sequence corresponding to amino acid 75 to 97 or a sequence having at least 90% homology thereto; preferably comprising an amino acid sequence corresponding to a sequence at least 90% homologous to the sequence of amino acids 28 to 137 of equine arteritis virus G
L
protein (SEQ ID No 4), but including said 85 to 97, or more preferably the 75 to 97 sequence, or a sequence that has at least 90% homology thereto. Other desirable optional epitopes identified are at 33 to 44 and 53 to 64.
A second aspect of the present invention provides a peptide or peptide conjugate comprising one or more epitopes capable of evoking an immune response in animals that produces antibodies which are neutralising to equine arteritis virus, characterised in that the epitopes are selected from those present in the amino acid sequence corresponding to amino acid 19 to 137 of equine arteritis virus G
L
protein (SEQ ID No 3), for use as a diagnostic agent; such peptide or conjugate is particularly provided for use as a diagnostic agent for the detection of EAV. Such aspect of course includes equine arteritis virus G
L
protein as such for these uses. Peptides or conjugates comprising SEQ ID No 2 are preferred; G
L
protein being included for such use; but peptides or conjugates comprising an amino acid sequence corresponding to a sequence at least 90% homologous to the sequence of amino acids 19 to 137 of equine arteritis G
L
protein (SEQ ID No 3) or to SEQ ID No 4, while retaining the amino acids 75 to 97 (SEQ ID No 5 and most preferably retaining the amino acids 85 to 97 (SEQ ID No 7) of, or having at least 90% homology to, SEQ ID No 2 may be used.
In a third aspect of the present invention are provided compositions comprising isolated peptides or peptide conjugates as described above per se, including G
L
, particularly for use in evoking neutralising antibody responses, eg. for the purpose of prophylaxis or diagnosis. Typically such compositions will comprise a peptide or conjugate of the present invention together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or a carrier suitable for use in binding studies respectively.
In a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided recombinant DNA, or RNA derived therefrom, encoding for peptides or conjugates of the invention, and plasmids and cells transformed thereby comprising this DNA such that they are capable of expressing the peptides or conjugates. This DNA has sequences of SEQ ID Nos 3 to 7 and those indicated in Table 1 below, and may be incorporated into cells in the form of vectors such as plasmids or may be used as a ‘naked vaccine’ by way of chromosomal integration; both techniques being well understood by those skilled in the art.
In a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for testing for the presence of antibodies to equine arteritis virus comprising use of a peptide or peptide conjugate of the present invention, or G
L
protein, as a specific binding agent. Such test is preferably of ELISA format but may use the peptide or conjugate as immobilised binding agent or labelled secondary binding agent in a so called sandwich assay.
In binding assay where the peptide or peptide conjugate is immobilised this method may conveniently be carried out by use of commercially available assay plates onto which the peptide or conjugate is coated by suitable incubation in the known manner. For the purpose of assay a sample to be screened for EAV antibodies, eg. a serum sample, is typically incubated in contact with the plate, eg. in the wells, whereafter any EAV antibody present therein is identified by exposure to eg. an anti-horse IgA, IgG or IgM conjugated to a reporter group. Such reporter group may be in the form of a radiolabel, chemical label or a biological label. A typical biological label is an enzyme or cofactor, eg. biotin, and is detected by exposure to all the reactants necessary for a reporter reaction to occur dependent upon the presence of the reporter group. In the case of biotin the well may be exposed to streptavidin-peroxidase and then o-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride and the absorbance of the plate determined at 490 nm.
In a further example an immob
Bui Phuong T.
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
The Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food in Her Britannic
LandOfFree
Equine arteritis virus peptides, antibodies and their use in... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Equine arteritis virus peptides, antibodies and their use in..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Equine arteritis virus peptides, antibodies and their use in... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2841205