Title:  Chimeric viral proteins

United States Patent:  6,271,354

Assignee:  Thomas Jefferson University (Philadelphia, PA)

Filed:  April 2, 1998

Chimeric viral proteins and nucleic acid constructs that code for them and are useful as therapeutic agents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a most general aspect, the invention is a chimeric viral protein comprising:

1) a first protein of a virus; and

2) a polypeptide of said virus,

said polypeptide joined by a peptide linkage to said first viral protein in said chimeric protein, said polypeptide not normally joined by said peptide linkage to said polypeptide in said virus or in cells infected by said virus.

In one aspect, the invention is a chimeric viral protein comprising:

1) a first protein of a virus, said first protein not compromising a site for cleavage by a proteolytic enzyme of said virus;

2) a polypeptide proteolytic cleavage site, of said virus, said cleavage site being a site for cleavage by a proteolytic enzyme of said virus;

such that said first protein is covalently linked by a peptide linkage to said polypeptide proteolytic cleavage site.

In a second aspect, the invention is a chimeric viral protein comprising:

1) a first protein of a virus, said first protein not being a protein that forms a dimeric proteolytic enzyme of said virus;

2) a dimer interface polypeptide sequence of an enzyme of said virus, said sequence being one by which monomers of said enzyme combine to form the active dimeric enzyme, such that said first protein is covalently linked by a peptide linkage to said dimer interface polypeptide sequence.

Related aspects of the inventions are nucleic acid constructs that code for the chimeric protein, and the process of administering them as therapeutic agents.

Claim 1 of 18 Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A chimeric viral protein comprising:

1) a protein of a virus; and

2) a polypeptide of said virus,

said polypeptide joined by a peptide linkage to said viral protein in said chimeric protein, said polypeptide not normally joined by said peptide linkage to said protein in said virus or in cells infected by said virus.

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