Patent Report This section provides information on worldwide patents relevant to vaccine design and production. The Patent Report gives the following information: title of patent, patentee, patent number, publication date and summary of the patent. A number of patents in this report are reproduced from 'Biotechnology Abstracts' with permission of Derwent Publications Ltd.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa-derived elastase encoding DNA; potential application in recombinant vaccine production Suntory Jpn 2104 285; 17 April 1990

DNA encoding Pseudomonas aeruginosa-derived elastase (EC 3.4.21.11) is claimed together with its restriction map. Using the DNA, elastase may be prepared from P. aeruginosa with high yield. The enzyme is useful for preparing a P. aeruginosa recombinant vaccine. Preferably the P. aeruginosa strain is IFO 3455. The genomic DNA is cut into fragments and inserted into Escherichia coli vector to give recombinant DNA. The recombinant DNA is introduced into E. coli, preferably strain HB101 (pELK6) (FERM BP-10223.), by transformation and transformants are selected for elastase producing ability. Recombinant DNA encoding elastase production is isolated and subcloned. 001 91

New avirulent Salmonella, containing DNA for Eseherichia coli lipopolysaccharide core region, providing efficient expression of heterologous protein, especially cholera O-antigen; application as vaccine Enterovax Aust 8941 023; 8 March 1990

The following bacteria are new: (1) a virulent strain of Salmonella containing a DNA fragment encoding at least part of the core region of an Escherichia coli strain; (2) the E. coli donor strains EX170, EX173 and EX260, or their variants and mutants; and (3) the Salmonella donor strains Salmonella typhimurium V490 and Salmonella typhi V487. A Salmonella-E. coli composition includes a thyA avirulent strain of S. typhi into which (a) a DNA fragment containing genes, including the rfa locus located at 81 min on the E. coli K12 genetic map, and including enzymes required for making the core region of the lipopolysaccharide, and (b) a DNA fragment able to express an O-antigen and having a thyA+ non-antibiotic selectable marker, are inserted. The modified Salmonella strains are useful as vaccines for protection against enteric diseases, especially cholera (where the antigen being expressed is Vibrio cholerae O-somatic antigen). They provide higher levels of antigen production than unmodified Salmonella strains and also express Salmonella O-somatic antigen. 002-91

Fowl Mycoplasma antigen, vector and recombinant vaccine; Mycoplasma gallisepticum gene cloning and expression; fusion protein construction Nippon-Zeon; Shionogi Jpn 2111 795; 24 April 1990

A polypeptide which elicits an antigen-antibody reaction with anti-My¢oplasma gallisepticum fowl serum is claimed. The polypeptide is preferably MG-1, MG-2, MG-3, MG-4, MG-5, MG-6, MG-7, MG-8, MG-9, MG-10, MG-11, MG-12, MG-13, MG-14, MG-15, MG-16, MG-17, MG-18, MG-19, MG-20, MG-21, MG-22, TMG-1 or a functionally similar derivative, with defined protein sequences. The polypeptide may be a fusion protein containing a C-terminal M. gallisepticum antigen and a

bacterial enzyme at the N-terminal. DNA fragments encoding the antigens and fusion proteins, vectors containing the DNA, a recombinant microorganism host transformed with the vector, and a fowl recombinant vaccine containing the antigen (preferably MG-1 or TMG-1) as an active component, are also claimed. The polypeptides are useful as diagnostics and vaccine components for fowl M. gallisepticum disease. 003 91

Recombinant vaccine against horse influenza virus; produced using DNA sequence encoding haemagglutinin and neuraminidase glycoproteins Biotechnol. Res. Partners USA 4920 213; 24 April 1990

Recombinant DNA sequences encoding horse haemagglutinin (HA) H7 and neuraminidase (NA, EC 3.2.1.18) N7 of specified formulae are new. The DNA sequences encoding the HA and NA glycoproteins from two strains of horse-infectious virus currently infective in horses are used to construct vaccinia-based vaccines, to design synthetic peptides for primer and booster administration, and to permit recombinant synthesis of HA and/or NA protein-based vaccines. These DNA sequences also provide probes useful for preparing vaccines from fresh isolates of new strains generated by genetic drift. Preferred peptides were synthesized; (Al-x) residues 146-173, (Al-y)residues 181-209 and (Al-z) residues 309 337 based on H7; and (A2-x) residues 143 159, (A2-y) residues 191-218 and (A2-z) residues 322-343, based on H3. A further peptide was designed comprising the N-terminals of H7 and H3 (A1/A2-N), residues 345-357 of H3 + residues 350-362 of H7. 004-91

Recombinant adenovirus for oral vaccine; containing a gene coding for an antigen, especially HBsAg, to produce antibody or induce cell-mediated immunity Am. Home-Products USA 4920 209; 24 April 1990

A recombinant adenovirus is claimed containing a gene coding for an antigen produced by a disease-causing organism. The recombinant adenovirus is of the type 7 (ATCC VR 2167), the gene encodes hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) and is located at the deleted early region 3. A vaccine for producing antibodies or cell-mediated immunity to an infectious organism in warm-blooded animals comprises the use of live recombinant adenoviruses in which the virus structural protein is unchanged from that in the native adenovirus, and which contain the gene coding for the antigen corresponding to the antibodies or inducing the cell-mediated immunity. Oral vaccines are obtained where the virus infects the stomach wall and induces the production of antibodies of cell-mediated immunity to both adenovirus and other infectious organisms. 005-91

AIDS recombinant vaccine; recombinant HIV virus core protein cloning in vaccinia virus vector Toa- Fuel Jpn 2124 091; 11 May 1990

A new recombinant HIV virus comprises a HIV virus core protein gene integrated into the thymidine kinase (EC 2.7.1.21) gene of a vaccinia virus vector under the control of the 7.5 kDa protein gene promoter. The core protein gene is preferably a gag gene linked to a fragment of the pol gene. The recombinant vector is constructed by cloning the thymidine kinase gene of vaccinia virus. The HIV virus core protein gene is cloned into the thymidine kinase gene together with the promoter. By homologous recombination of the thymidine kinase gene region of the recombinant vaccinia virus fragment in the cloning vector

Vaccine, Vol. 9, January 1991 67