PRODUCTION OF RECOMBINANT PROTEINS FOR USE IN SUBUNIT VA- CINES AGAINST JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS AND DENGUE VIRUS

HAVING DEMONSTRATED THE UTILITY OF THE BACULOVIRUS EXPRES- SION SYSTEM, WE PROPOSE TO USE IT TO DESIGN SUBUNIT VACCINESTO PROTECT AGAINST DISEASES OF INTEREST TO THE MILITARY. WEHAVE CHOSEN TO PRODUCE PROTEINS THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ELICIT A PROTECTIVE IMMUNITY TO CERTAIN FLAVIVIRUSES, SPECI-FICALLY, JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS VIRUS AND DENGUE VIRUS. WE PROPOSE TO CONSTRUCT FOUR RECOMBINANT BACULOVIRUSES WHICH EXPRESS THE E AND NS1 GENES OF BOTH OF THESE VIRUSES. A MAJOR FACTOR IN CHOOSING TO WORK WITH THIS GROUP OF VIRUSES IS THAT THEIR LIFE CYCLE INCLUDES MOSQUITO VECTORS. SINCE THE BACULOVIRUS EXPRESSION SYTEM IS AN INSECT SYSTEM, IT MAYIDEALLY SUITED FOR EXPRESSION OF GENES OF INVERTEBRATE ORI- GIN WHERE OTHER EXPRESSION SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO FAIL.