Back to results
US 5,851,757 AGranted
Indicator cell line for detecting RNA viruses and method therefor
AssigneeWashington University
InventorsPaul D. Olivo, Sondra Schlesinger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeWashington University
InventorsPaul D. Olivo, Sondra Schlesinger
Estimating the term…
Cell lines and methods are disclosed for detecting the presence of RNA viruses in a specimen. The cell lines are stably transformed with a DNA molecule that includes a promoter capable of being recognized by the DNA dependent RNA polymerase of the cell capable of directing the transcription of a cDNA of a structurally defective RNA virus genome operably coupled to the promoter. The cDNA contains a structural coding sequence encoding a selected reporter gene product. The RNA molecules transcribed by the DNA dependent RNA polymerase are not capable of causing the translation of the reporter gene in the cell except when an active related virus that provides the necessary trans-acting enzymes to cause the increased replication of the RNA containing the reporter gene which is then translated into the reporter gene product is provided. Methods utilizing the cell lines of this invention to detect RNA viruses in a specimen by incubating the specimen with the cell line and assaying for expression of the reporter gene and a kit containing a supply of the cells and a supply of the reagents necessary for the detection of the reporter gene product are also provided.
A method for the detection of an active RNA virus that replicates through an RNA intermediate, the method comprising:
A mammalian cell for detecting the presence of an active RNA virus that replicates through an RNA intermediate, wherein said mammalian cell is stably transformed with a DNA molecule containing a promoter operably linked to a cDNA of a structurally defective genome of said RNA virus, wherein said cDNA contains a structural coding sequence encoding a reporter gene product, wherein said promoter is capable of causing transcription of said cDNA into an RNA molecule in a mammalian cell, and wherein the transcribed RNA molecule is replicated only in the presence of said virus.
A kit for conducting assays for the presence of an active RNA virus that replicates through an RNA intermediate, said kit comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.