Variant varicella-zoster viruses and methods of use
AssigneeUniversity of Iowa Research Foundation
InventorsCharles F. Grose, Richard Santos
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides methods directed to detecting antibodies that specifically bind to a varicella zoster polypeptide, detecting the presence of a varicella zoster virus in an animal, diagnosing a disease caused by varicella zoster virus, and detecting a varicella zoster virus having a single nucleotide polymorphism in ORF68. The present invention also provides a vaccine composition, a method for producing a modified attenuated varicella zoster virus, isolated polynucleotides, and isolated polypeptides, and viruses.
Claims68
A method for detecting antibodies that specifically bind to a varicella zoster polypeptide, the method comprising:
- contacting a biological sample comprising an antibody with a preparation comprising a varicella zoster polypeptide comprising a polymorphism to form a mixture, wherein the varicella zoster polypeptide is encoded by a polymorphism of ORF37;
- incubating the mixture under conditions to allow the antibody to specifically bind the polypeptide to form a polypeptide:antibody complex;
- and
- detecting the presence or absence of the polypeptide:antibody complex, wherein detecting the polypeptide:antibody complex indicates the presence of antibodies that specifically bind to a varicella zoster polypeptide.
A method for detecting antibodies that specifically bind to a varicella zoster polypeptide, the method comprising:
- contacting a biological sample comprising an antibody with a preparation comprising a varicella zoster polypeptide comprising a polymorphism to form a mixture, wherein the varicella zoster polypeptide is encoded by a polymorphism of ORF68;
- incubating the mixture under conditions to allow the antibody to specifically bind the polypeptide to form a polypeptide:antibody complex;
- and
- detecting the presence or absence of the polypeptide:antibody complex, wherein detecting the polypeptide:antibody complex indicates the presence of antibodies that specifically bind to a varicella zoster polypeptide.
A method for detecting the presence of a varicella zoster virus in an animal, the method comprising detecting the presence of an antibody to a varicella zoster virus polypeptide encoded by a polymorphic ORF of GenBank X04370 selected from the group consisting of ORF37 and ORF68, wherein the encoded polypeptide comprises a single amino acid polymorphism.
A method for diagnosing a disease caused by varicella zoster virus, the method comprising:
- contacting a polynucleotide of a subject suspected of having a disease caused by varicella zoster virus with a primer pair and incubating under conditions suitable to form a detectable amplification product, wherein the primer pair will not form a detectable amplification product when incubated with a polynucleotide having the nucleotide sequence of GenBank Accession X04370;
- and
- detecting an amplification product, wherein the detection indicates that the subject has a disease caused by varicella zoster virus.
A method for detecting a varicella zoster virus having a single nucleotide polymorphism in ORF68, the method comprising:
- contacting a polynucleotide with a primer pair and incubating under conditions suitable to form a detectable amplification product, wherein the primer pair amplifies a portion of ORF68 of GenBank Accession X04370 and/or a polymorphism thereof, that includes nucleotide 448 of ORF68;
- exposing the amplification product to restriction endonuclease having nucleotide 448 in its recognition sequence;
- and
- detecting the amplification product, wherein the presence of an amplification product that is not cleaved by the restriction endonuclease indicates the presence of a varicella zoster virus having a single nucleotide polymorphism in ORF68.
A vaccine composition comprising a modified attenuated varicella zoster virus, the modified attenuated virus having the ATCC designation VR-795 wherein the nucleotide sequence of the virus has been modified to contain a single nucleotide polymorphism.
A method for producing a modified attenuated varicella zoster virus, the method comprising growing the virus in a tissue culture preparation, the virus having the ATCC designation VR-795 wherein the nucleotide sequence of the virus has been modified to contain a single nucleotide polymorphism.
An isolated polynucleotide having the nucleotide sequence of nucleotides 66,074 to 68,599 of GenBank Accession X04370, with the proviso that nucleotide 66,879 is a thymine.
An isolated polynucleotide having the nucleotide sequence of nucleotides 115,808 to 117,679 of GenBank Accession X04370, with the proviso that nucleotide 116,255 is an adenine.
A virus having the designation VZV-MSP.
A virus having the designation VZV-VSD.
A virus having the designation VZV-VIA.
A virus having the designation VZV-Iceland.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.