Abstract:
It is intended to provide a promoter for inducing expression selectively and strongly in an immunocompetent cell and/or a blood cell such as a lymphocyte. In the invention, the object was achieved by finding that HHV6 MIE promoter, HHV7 MIE promoter and HHV7 U95 promoter unexpectedly induce a specific expression in an immunocompetent cell and/or a blood cell such as a T lymphocyte. By utilizing the promoters, a selective delivery of a DNA vaccine or the like can be realized.
Abstract:
A novel and dependable method for identifying an attenuated chickenpox virus Oka strain or a strain originating therein and acceptable as an attenuated chickenpox vaccine virus which comprises distinguishing the above-mentioned Oka strain from a specimen by examining whether the chickenpox virus genomic DNA of the Oka strain agrees with that of the specimen in all of the eight requirements as will be defined hereinbelow or disagrees therewith in at least one of these eight requirements so as to identify the Oka strain: the size of the restriction enzyme Hpa I fragment K; the size of the restriction enzyme Eco RI fragment P; the size determination of the Gene 14 R2-487 region; the PCR-SSCP determination of this region; the size of the restriction enzyme AccIII fragment in the R2-1764 region: the occurrence of the restriction enzyme Pst I site in this region; the homology of the amino acid sequence encoded by the R2-487 region; and the homology of the amino acid sequence encoded by the entire ORF of VZV Gene 14. Also provided are a virus strain substantially identical to the attenuated chickenpox virus Oka strain or a strain originating therein and acceptable as an attenuated chickenpox vaccine virus which has been identified by the above-mentioned method; an attenuated chickenpox vaccine with the use of the virus strain as the active ingredient; and a gp V antigen encoded by Gene 14 which is useful as a diagnostic agent.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a method for exact identification of the attenuated varicella virus Oka strain or a strain derived therefrom capable of functioning as an attenuated varicella live vaccine virus, which comprises analyzing the difference in the genomic DNA and fragments thereof between the Oka strain and a sample varicella strain, and determining whether or not a sample strain satisfies all of the following eight characteristics: the sizes of the Hpa I-K fragment and the Eco RI-P fragment; the size of R2-487 region of Gene14 and the analysis by PCR-SSCP; the sizes of the restriction fragments obtained by digesting the R2-1764 fragment with Acc III; the absence or presence of a Pst I cleavage site; the homology of the amino acid sequences coded by R2-487 coding region; and the homology of the amino acid sequences coded by the coding region of VZV Gene14 . Also disclosed are an isolated virus strain which is substantially the same virus strain as identified by the above method; an attenuated varicella virus live vaccine comprising the same virus strain as identified by the above method; and an attenuated varicella virus Oka strain antigen.