Expression of influenza a M2 protein in baculovirus
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services
InventorsAlan P. Kendal, Renee Black, Paul A. Rota
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Abstract
The present invention relates to baculovirus-expressed influenza antigens, in particular, to the influenza A membrane protein, M2, expressed from Autographa Californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV). The present invention further relates to a method to increase the yield of baculovirus-expressed M2 proteins in host cells by culturing the recombinant baculovirus infected host cells with an amantadine-like drug. Other aspect of the present invention relate to the use of baculovirus-expressed M2 proteins in reproducible and routine assays for the seradiagnosis of influenza A virus infections as an alternative to the more burdensome complement fixation and hemagglutination tests.
Claims12
A composition comprising an insect cell and culture medium:
- i) said cell infected with a recombinant Autographa Californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus or a related nuclear polyhedrosis virus, said recombinant virus encoding the gene for an M2 protein of influenza A virus, and
- ii) wherein the medium comprises amantadine or an amantadinelike drug.
A method of expressing high levels of an influenza A M2 protein in an insect cell, said method comprising:
- i) infecting insect cells in the presence of amantadine or an amantadine-like drug with a recombinant Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus or a related nuclear polyhedrosis virus, said recombinant virus containing the gene for an M2 protein of influenza A virus, and
- ii) culturing said infected insect cells in the presence of amantadine or amantadine-like drug so as to express said M2 protein of influenza A virus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.