Functional characterization of the C-C chemokine-like molecules encoded by molluscum contagiosum virus types 1 and 2
AssigneeAdvanced Research and Technology Institute, Inc.
InventorsKenneth H. Fife, Michell D. Krathwohl, Robert Hromas, Darron R. Brown, Hal E. Broxmeyer
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Abstract
The inventors have cloned and expressed the chemokine-like genes from MCV type 1 and the closely related MCV type 2 in order to determine a potential role for these proteins in the viral life cycle. These are the first viral chemokines that have been shown to antagonize the chemotactic activity of human chemokines and the first viral chemokines that have been shown to have inhibitory activity on human hematopoietic progenitor cells. Methods and compositions for exploiting these proteins are disclosed herein.
Claims21
An isolated and purified nucleic acid encoding a protein comprising an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2.
An expression construct comprising a vector comprising an isolated polynucleotide encoding a protein comprising an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:4 and a promoter operably linked to said isolated polynucleotide.
A recombinant host cell comprising a cell with a vector comprising an expression region encoding a protein comprising an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:4 operatively linked to a promoter.
A pharmaceutical composition comprising:
- (i) a vector construct comprising an expression region encoding a protein comprising an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:4 under the control of a promoter active in eukaryotic cells;
- and
- (ii) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, excipient or diluent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.