Novel DNA-based vaccine against the encephalitis alphaviruses

A process for preparing a recombinant DNA vaccine for inducing protective immune response to WEE virus in a mammal, comprising preparing a nucleic acid suitable for producing antigenic determinant in a mammal in vivo by encoding antigenic determinant of WEE virus strain 71V-1658 structural proteins operatively linked to a mammalian expression promoter.

A prophylactic method for inducing protective immune response to WEE virus in a mammal comprising:

• (i) preparing a nucleic acid suitable for producing antigenic determinant in a mammal in vivo by encoding antigenic determinant of WEE virus strain 7V-1658 structural proteins operatively linked to a mammalian expression promoter;
• and
• (ii) delivering said nucleic acid into the mammal.

A structural gene pcDWXH-7 comprising nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:

• 2.

A recombinant DNA expression vector pVHX-6 comprising upstream nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:

• 3 and having remaining nucleotide sequence identical to that of structural gene pcDWXH-7 of SEQ ID NO:
• 2 from the point of divergence.

A recombinant DNA vaccine for inducing protective immune response to WEE virus, wherein structural proteins of WEE virus SEQ ID NO:2 are operationally linked to a cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter in a nucleic acid pVHX-6 of SEQ ID NO:

• 3.