Abstract:
Compositions and methods to utilize coat proteins of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) as a scaffold with commonly available linker chemistries and surface antigens to enhance immune responses when used as a vaccination; randomized library to introduce a reactive lysine or cysteine residue externally located at the amino-terminus of the coat protein. TMV coat protein modification allows a controlled stoichiometric biotinylation of the Introduced lysine or cysteine residues further allowing the attachment of antigens using streptavidin as a linker to the biotinylated coat protein. A TMV-protein complex vaccine prepared utilizing this invention results in enhanced immunogenicity and a detectable humoral immune response after only a single immunization in mice.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a method for using viral vectors to bear populations of sequence variants and using plant hosts to select to sequences that exhibit the desired traits.
Abstract:
The present invention provides nucleic acid sequences having an altered viral movement protein and 126/183kDa replicase proteins further characterized in its ability to stabilize a transgene contained in a virus that expresses the altered movement protein. The present invention also provides viral vectors expressing the altered movement protein, cells transformed with the vectors, and host plants infected by the viral vectors.
Abstract:
Herein described are various methods for making a vaccine that are made of re-assembled virus like particles (VLP). First, the VLPs are disassembled into encapsidation intermediate populations. Each encapsidation intermediate population undergoes, for instance, chemical conjugation of unique peptide or nucleic moieties to form separate populations. Thereafter, a predetermined amount of each of the several (one or more) different encapsidation intermediates from the different populations is mixed and joined, forming intact VLPs, surrounding a nucleic acid core, that are composed of different encapsidation intermediate such that the reassembled VLP displays more than one peptide or nucleic acid. The nucleic acid can function either as a scaffold alone or can be engineered for the expression of an immunomodulatory protein in a eukaryotic cell.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to foreign peptide sequences fused to the amino-terminal of plant viral structural proteins and a method of their production. Fusion proteins are economically synthesized in plants at high levels by biologically contained tobamoviruses. The foreign peptide sequences can be cleaved from the fusion proteins by proteolytic enzymes or chemical reagents. The foreign peptide sequences of the invention have many uses. Such uses include use as antigens for inducing the production of antibodies having desired binding properties, e.g., protective antibodies, for use as vaccine antigens for the induction of protective immunity, including immunity against parasitic infections, for use as a protein involved in hormonal activity, or for use as a protein involved in immunoregulatory activity.
Abstract:
Herein described are various methods for making a vaccine that are made of reassembled virus like particles (VLP). First, the VLPs are disassembled into coat proteins or encapsidation intermediate populations. Each population undergoes, for instance, chemical conjugation of unique peptide or nucleic moieties to form separate populations. Thereafter, a predetermined amount of each of the several (one or more) different coat proteins or encapsidation intermediates from the different populations is mixed and joined, forming intact VLPs, surrounding a nucleic acid core, that are composed of different coat proteins such that the reassembled VLP displays more than one peptide or other molecule. The nucleic acid can function either as a scaffold alone or can be engineered for the expression of an immunomodulatory protein in a eukaryotic cell.
Abstract:
We describe here restriction endonucleases and their uses. Restriction endonucleases are useful in finding single nucleotide polymorphisms. They are also useful in an in vitro method of redistributing sequence variations between non-identical polynucleotide sequences.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method for enhancing the production of RNAs or proteins in a plant host using either non-native 5' untranslated sequences or artificial leader sequences. Preferably, commercially useful proteins, polypeptides, or fusion products thereof are produced, such as, enzymes, antibodies, hormones, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, pigments, anti-microbial polypeptides, and the like. The non-native 5' untranslated enhancers may also be effective in many different types of transcription or translation systems, such as bacterial and animal systems.