Recombinant attenuated dengue viruses comprising a deletion in the 3′ untranslated region and additional attenuating mutations induced by chemical mutagenesis

Abstract

The invention provides compositions featuring an attenuated dengue virus mutant or an attenuated chimeric dengue virus mutant.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An immunogenic composition comprising an attenuated dengue virus or attenuated chimeric dengue virus comprising (a) a nucleic acid encoding a structural protein from dengue serotype 1, dengue serotype 2, dengue serotype 3, or dengue serotype 4; and (b) a nucleic acid comprising remaining coding and non-coding regions of a dengue serotype 4 virus (DEN4 backbone), wherein the DEN4 backbone comprises a 30 nucleotide deletion in the 3′ untranslated region corresponding to nucleotides 172-143 (DEN4Δ30 backbone), wherein the numbering is based upon a prototypic DEN4 Dominica 1981 isolate, and wherein the DEN4 backbone further comprises one or more mutations from Table 37. 
     
     
       2. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid encoding the structural protein is from the dengue serotype 4 virus (DEN4Δ30). 
     
     
       3. The composition of  claim 2 , further comprising a first attenuated chimeric virus having a nucleic acid encoding a structural protein from dengue serotype 1 virus and a DEN4Δ30 backbone (DEN1/4Δ30). 
     
     
       4. The composition of  claim 3 , further comprising a second attenuated chimeric virus comprising a nucleic acid encoding a structural protein from dengue serotype 2 virus and a DEN4Δ30 backbone (DEN2/4Δ30). 
     
     
       5. The composition of  claim 4 , further comprising a third attenuated chimeric virus comprising a nucleic acid encoding a structural protein from dengue serotype 3 virus and a DEN4Δ30 backbone (DEN3/4Δ30). 
     
     
       6. The composition of  claim 5 , wherein a nucleic acid encoding the NS3 protein of at least one of DEN4Δ30, the first attenuated chimeric virus, the second attenuated chimeric virus, and the third attenuated chimeric virus comprises a mutation at nucleotide position 4995 from T to C. 
     
     
       7. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid encoding the structural protein is from the dengue serotype 1 virus. 
     
     
       8. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid encoding the structural protein is from the dengue serotype 2 virus. 
     
     
       9. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid encoding the structural protein is from the dengue serotype 3 virus. 
     
     
       10. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the mutation in the DEN4 backbone is a mutation at nucleotide position 4995 from T to C.