Methods of making and using vaccines utilizing minicircle DNA expression vectors for production of foot-and-mouth-disease virus proteins and virus-like particles

A vector comprising a mutant nucleotide sequence that encodes a foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) capsid polyprotein precursor that includes a mutation that removes a restriction enzyme recognition site, further comprising:

• a eukaryotic translation initiation nucleotide sequence positioned 5′ to the mutant nucleotide sequence;
• a nucleotide sequence that encodes a protease;
• and
• a translational regulatory element positioned 3′ to the mutant nucleotide sequence and 5′ to the nucleotide sequence that encodes the protease, and
• wherein the vector comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 3.

A vector comprising a mutant nucleotide sequence that encodes a foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) capsid polyprotein precursor that includes a mutation that removes a restriction enzyme recognition site, further comprising:

• a eukaryotic translation initiation nucleotide sequence positioned 5′ to the mutant nucleotide sequence;
• a nucleotide sequence that encodes a protease, and
• a translational regulatory element positioned 3′ to the mutant nucleotide sequence and 5′ to the nucleotide sequence that encodes the protease,
• wherein the translational regulator element comprises a DNA or RNA sequence responsible for a ribosomal frameshift, and
• wherein the DNA or RNA sequence responsible for a ribosomal frameshift comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 6.

A vector comprising a mutant nucleotide sequence that encodes a foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) capsid polyprotein precursor that includes a mutation that removes a restriction enzyme recognition site, further comprising:

• a eukaryotic translation initiation nucleotide sequence positioned 5′ to the mutant nucleotide sequence;
• a nucleotide sequence that encodes a protease;
• and
• a translational regulatory element positioned 3′ to the mutant nucleotide sequence and 5′ to the nucleotide sequence that encodes the protease,
• wherein the nucleotide sequence that encodes the protease comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 7.

A vector comprising a mutant nucleotide sequence that encodes a foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) capsid polyprotein precursor that includes a mutation that removes a restriction enzyme recognition site, further comprising:

• a eukaryotic translation initiation nucleotide sequence positioned 5′ to the mutant nucleotide sequence;
• a nucleotide sequence that encodes a protease;
• and
• a translational regulatory element positioned 3′ to the mutant nucleotide sequence and 5′ to the nucleotide sequence that encodes the protease,
• wherein the nucleotide sequence that encodes the protease comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 9.