Antigenic fragment of human T-lymphotropic virus

Abstract

Antigenic fragments of human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV), their fusion proteins with glutathione Stranferase (GST) or thioredoxin (Thio), and a process for producing the fusion proteins thereof. The antigenic fragment of HTLV comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID Nos: 3 or 4.

1 . An isolated peptide comprising an antigenic fragment of HTLV-II gp21 having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4.  
     
     
         2 . An isolated nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding an antigenic fragment of HTLV-I gp21, wherein the nucleotide sequence is SEQ ID NO: 55.  
     
     
         3 . The isolated nucleic acid of  claim 2 , further comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding glutathione S-transferase (GST), wherein the isolated nucleic acid has the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 57 encoding a fusion protein GST/HTLV-I gp21 comprising an antigenic fragment of HTLV-I gp21 having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 and glutathione S-transferase (GST), the fusion protein being designated GST/HTLV-I gp 21 and having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5.  
     
     
         4 . The isolated nucleic acid of  claim 2 , further comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding thioredoxin (Thio), wherein the isolated nucleic acid has the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 59 encoding a fusion protein Thio/HTLV-I gp21 comprising an antigenic fragment of HTLV-I gp21 having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 and thioredoxin (Thio), the fusion protein being designated Thio/HTLV-I gp 21 and having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7.  
     
     
         5 . An isolated nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding an antigenic fragment of HTLV-II gp21, wherein the nucleotide sequence is SEQ ID NO: 56.  
     
     
         6 . The isolated nucleic acid of  claim 5 , further comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding glutathione S-transferase (GST), wherein the isolated nucleic acid has the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 58 encoding a fusion protein GST/HTLV-II gp21 comprising an antigenic fragment of HTLV-II gp21 having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 and glutathione S-transferase (GST), the fusion protein being designated GST/HTLV-II gp21 and having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6.  
     
     
         7 . The isolated nucleic acid of  claim 5 , further comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding thioredoxin (Thio), wherein the isolated nucleic acid has the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 60 encoding a fusion protein Thio/HTLV-II gp21 comprising an antigenic fragment of HTLV-II gp21 having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 and thioredoxin (Thio), the fusion protein being designated Thio/HTLV-I gp 21 and having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8.  
     
     
         8 . An expression vector, comprising a nucleic acid encoding a fusion protein, wherein: 
 the fusion protein contains the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:7;    the nucleic acid is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence regulatory element that controls expression of the nucleic acid; and    the nucleic acid comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 59.    
     
     
         9 . A process for producing an antigenic fragment of HTLV gp21, comprising: 
 introducing the expression vector of  claim 8  into a cell;    culturing the cell under conditions suitable for production of a protein; and    recovering the protein from the cell culture to obtain the antigenic fragment of HTLV gp21.    
     
     
         10 . An expression vector, comprising a nucleic acid encoding a fusion protein, wherein: 
 the fusion protein contains the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6;    the nucleic acid is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence regulatory element that controls expression of the nucleic acid; and    the nucleic acid comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 58.    
     
     
         11 . A process for producing an antigenic fragment of HTLV gp21, comprising: 
 introducing the expression vector of  claim 10  into a cell;    culturing the cell under conditions suitable for production of a protein; and    recovering the protein from the cell culture to obtain the antigenic fragment of HTLV gp21.    
     
     
         12 . An expression vector, comprising a nucleic acid encoding a fusion protein, wherein: 
 the fusion protein contains the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6;    the nucleic acid is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence regulatory element that controls expression of the nucleic acid; and    the nucleic acid comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 60.    SEQ ID NO: 60.    
     
     
         13 . A process for producing an antigenic fragment of HTLV gp21, comprising: 
 introducing the expression vector of  claim 12  into a cell;    culturing the cell under conditions suitable for production of a protein; and recovering the protein from the cell culture to obtain the antigenic fragment of HTLV gp21.    
     
     
         14 . A process for producing an antigenic fragment of HTLV gp21, comprising: 
 introducing an expression vector into a cell, wherein 
 the expression vector contains a nucleic acid encoding a protein having the amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID NO: 5, the nucleic acid comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 57 and being operably linked to a nucleotide sequence regulatory element that controls expression of the nucleic acid;  
 culturing the cell under conditions suitable for production of a protein; and  
 recovering the protein from the cell culture to obtain the antigenic fragment of HTLV gp21.  
   
     
     
         15 . A kit for the detection of human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV), comprising: 
 a solid substrate,    a first HTLV gp21 antigenic fragment immobilized on the solid substrate,    a blocking solution for blocking a HTLV gp21 antigenic fragment-unbound region on the    solid substrate;    a second HTLV gp21 antigenic fragment,    a wash solution, and    a signal-producing means operably linked to the second HTLV gp21 antigenic fragment to produce a signal, wherein the first and the second HTLV gp21 antigenic fragments each contains the amino acid sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 6-8.    
     
     
         16 . The kit of  claim 15 , wherein the antigenic fragments each contains the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:6.  
     
     
         17 . The kit of  claim 15 , wherein the antigenic fragments each contains the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:7.  
     
     
         18 . The kit of  claim 15 , wherein the antigenic fragments each contains the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:8.