Construct
AssigneeInstitute for Animal Health
InventorsBryan Charleston, Ian Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a construct which, when expressed in a host cell, is capable of producing empty virus capsids, the construct comprising: (i) a nucleotide sequence encoding a capsid precursor protein; (ii) a nucleotide sequence encoding a protease capable of cleaving the capsid precursor protein; and (iii) a control element which controls the expression of the protease such that, when the construct is present in the host cell, the control element causes the protease to be expressed at a level sufficient to cleave the capsid precursor protein, but not sufficient to induce significant toxicity in the host cell. The invention also provides a vector and a host cell comprising such a construct and their use to generate empty virus capsids.
Claims24
A construct which, when expressed in a host cell, is capable of producing empty virus capsids, the construct comprising:
- (i) a nucleic acid encoding a capsid precursor protein;
- (ii) a nucleic acid encoding a protease capable of cleaving the capsid precursor protein;
- and
- (iii) a control element which controls the expression of the protease
- such that, when the construct is present in the host cell, the control element causes the protease to be expressed at a level sufficient to cleave the capsid precursor protein, but not sufficient to induce significant toxicity in the host cell.
A method for producing empty virus capsids which comprises the following steps:
- (i) expressing in a host cell a construct comprising:
- (a) a nucleic acid encoding a capsid precursor protein;
- (b) a nucleic acid encoding a protease capable of cleaving the capsid precursor protein;
- and
- (c) a control element which controls the expression of the protease
- such that, when the construct is present in the host cell, the control element causes the protease to be expressed at a level sufficient to cleave the capsid precursor protein, but not sufficient to induce significant toxicity in the host cell;
- and
- (ii) harvesting empty virus capsids produced by the host cell.
23-25. (canceled)
A construct which comprises a nucleic acid a picornavirus protein under the control of a retroviral control element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.