RECOMBINANT EXPRESSION OF RUBELLA E1 ENVELOPE PROTEIN VARIANTS AS CHAPERONE FUSION-PROTEINS, THEIR REFOLDING INTO SOLUBLE, NATIVE-LIKE AND IMMUNOREACTIVE ANTIGENIC CONFORMATION AND THEIR USE IN DETECTION OF ANTI-RUBELLA ANTIBODIES

摘要

PPROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide rubella E1 antigen variants and their use in the detection of anti-rubella antibodies. PSOLUTION: A soluble rubella E1 antigen and variants lacks at the C-terminal end at least the transmembrane region and the anchor segment as well as at least the amino acids 143 to 164 and contains at least the region spanning the disulfide-bridges Cys 349-Cys 352 and Cys 368-401 whereas the N-terminus (Cys 349) of this region contains additionally at least 15 amino acids and/or the C-terminus (Cys 401) of this region contains additionally at least 8 amino acids of the adjacent rubella E1 antigen sequence. The antigen is recombined and expressed as chaperone fusion-proteins, refolded into a soluble and immunoreactive conformation and used in the serological detection of anti-rubella antibodies. The recombinant DNA molecule encoding a rubella E1 antigen and variants is provided. The method of detecting, measuring and determining anti-rubella antigen of IgG and/or IgM subclass in a sample are provided. PCOPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT