Abstract: Disclosed is a measles virus mutant antigen consisting essentially of a measles virus mutant H protein antigen, wherein said measles virus mutant H protein antigen is at least one member selected from the group consisting of the following amino acid sequences (a) to (c): (a) an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10; (b) an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 or SEQ ID NO: 11; and (c) an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO. 4 or SEQ ID NO: 12 By the use of the measles virus mutant antigen of the present invention, it has become possible to provide efficiently and economically a live attenuated measles vaccine which is adapted for an epidemic strain of measles virus, and a diagnostic reagent capable of accurately detecting infections with an epidemic strain of measles virus.

Abstract: Disclosed is an isolated non-A, non-B hepatitis virus genomic CDNA covering the entire region of the virus gene nucleotide sequence from the 1st to 9416th nucleotides shown in FIG. 2(1) through FIG. 2(16) hereof, wherein the coding region is from the 333rd to 9362nd nucleotides, and the 5′- and 3′-noncoding sequences contain 332 nucleotides and 54 nucleotides, respectively. Part of the cDNA and an antigen polypeptide as an expression product thereof are useful as a diagnostic reagent for non-A, non-B hepatitis. The antigen polypeptide is also useful as an active ingredient for a non-A, non-B hepatitis virus vaccine.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a rotavirus antigen which the mass culture is difficult, comprising cloning a cell highly permitting the proliferation of rotavirus from a cell culture; preparing a cloned cell adapted-rotavirus strain by passaging a rotavirus in the resulting cloned cell strain and adapting the rotavirus to the cloned cell strain; culturing as a seed virus the adapted rotavirus strain or a reassortant prepared by using the adapted rotavirus strain as a parent strain; and isolating and purifying the rotavirus antigen from the culture medium of the seed virus; and additionally provides an rotavirus antigen, a vaccine against rotavirus infections, and a diagnostic agent of the diseases, as produced by using the antigen. These antigen, vaccine and diagnostic agent can make great contributions to individual fields of the fundamental research works and clinical application, relating to rotavirus infections.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for exact identification of the attenuated varicella virus Oka strain or a strain derived therefrom capable of functioning as an attenuated varicella live vaccine virus, which comprises analyzing the difference in the genomic DNA and fragments thereof between the Oka strain and a sample varicella strain, and determining whether or not a sample strain satisfies all of the following eight characteristics: the sizes of the HpaI-K fragment and the EcoRI-P fragment; the size of R2-487 region of Gene14 and the analysis by PCR-SSCP; the sizes of the restriction fragments obtained by digesting the R2-1764 fragment with AccIII; the absence or presence of a PstI cleavage site; the homology of the amino acid sequences coded by R2-487 coding region; and the homology of the amino acid sequences coded by the coding region of VZV Gene14. The method of the present invention is extremely useful for the quality control and quality assurance of attenuated varicella live vaccines.

Abstract: A stabilized live vaccine containing a varicella virus and a stabilizer, wherein the vaccine is substantially free of Ca.sup.2+ ions and Mg.sup.2+ ions is described. This stabilized live vaccine is excellent in storage stability and heat resistance. Also described is an improved stabilizer for a live varicella vaccine, comprising at least gelatin or hydrolyzed gelatin, each being substantially free of Ca.sup.2+ ions and Mg.sup.2+ ions. The stabilizer can advantageously be used to stabilize a live vaccine containing a varicella virus. The substantial freedom of Ca.sup.2+ ions and Mg.sup.2+ ions can be attained by masking Ca.sup.2+ ions and Mg.sup.2+ ions present in a live vaccine containing a varicella virus and a stabilizer, with a chelating reagent, or by using as a stabilizer gelatin and/or a gelatin derivative after being purified to remove Ca.sup.2+ ions and/or Mg.sup.2+ ions contained therein.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of preparing a plasmid having both the ability of expressing retroviral genes and the ability of effecting the after-translational processing of the encoded products, and the resultant plasmid and the expression products thereof. The method of the present invention is to prepare a plasmid by insertion-linking a cDNA fragment containing at least the protease gene from among retroviral genes with a highly expressing gene or a gene direct expressing vector, thereby causing expression of the retroviral genes, and at the same time, to process said expression product itself with the protease in that expression product, thereby mass-producing three kinds of core protein encoded by vaq gene, and three kinds of enzymes encoded by pol gene, in the form of individual single mature or active proteins.

Abstract: Disclosed is an isolated non-A, non-B hepatitis virus genomic cDNA covering the entire region of the virus gene nucleotide sequence from the 1st to 9416th nucleotides shown in FIG. 2(1) through FIG. 2(16) hereof, wherein the coding region is from the 333rd to 9362nd nucleotides, and the 5'- and 3'- noncoding sequences contain 332 nucleotides and 54 nucleotides, respectively. Part of the cDNA and an antigen polypeptide as an expression product thereof are useful as a diagnostic reagent for non-A, non-B hepatitis. The antigen polypeptide is also useful as an active ingredient for a non-A, non-B hepatitis virus vaccine.

Abstract: Disclosed is a stabilized live vaccine containing a varicella virus and a stabilizer, wherein the vaccine is substantially free of Ca.sup.2+ ions and Mg.sup.2+ ions. This stabilized live vaccine is extremely excellent in storage stability and heat resistance. Also disclosed is an improved stabilizer for a live varicella vaccine, comprising at least one member selected from gelatin and hydrolyzed gelatin, each being substantially free of Ca.sup.2+ ions and Mg.sup.2+ ions. The stabilizer can advantageously be used to stabilize a live vaccine containing a varicella virus. The substantial freedom of Ca.sup.2+ ions and Mg.sup.2+ ions can be attained by masking Ca.sup.2+ ions and Mg.sup.2+ ions present in a live vaccine containing a varicella virus and a stabilizer, with a chelating reagent, or by using as a stabilizer gelatin and/or a gelatin derivative after being purified to remove Ca.sup.2+ ions and/or Mg.sup.2+ ions contained therein.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recombinant varicella-zoster virus prepared by inserting, into the viral genome, nucleic acids from the hepatitis B virus genome, a genomic DNA of the recombinant varicella-zoster virus, a live vaccine containing the recombinant varicella-zoster virus as an effective ingredient, an antigen derived from the recombinant varicella-zoster virus, and diagnostic agent containing the antigen.The recombinant varicella-zoster virus of the present invention can be utilized as a multivalent vaccine having an excellent immunity effect both on chicken pox and hepatitis B, and expression products and genomic DNA thereof may be used as a multivalent diagnostic agent.

Abstract: Disclosed is an isolated non-A, non-B hepatitis virus genomic cDNA covering the entire region of the virus gene nucleotide sequence from the 1st to 9416th nucleotides shown in FIG. 2(1) through FIG. 2(16) hereof, wherein the coding region is from the 333rd to 9362nd nucleotides, and the 5'- and 3'-noncoding sequences contain 332 nucleotides and 54 nucleotides, respectively. Part of the cDNA and an antigen polypeptide as an expression product thereof are useful as a diagnostic reagent for non-A, non-B hepatitis. The antigen polypeptide is also useful as an active ingredient for a non-A, non-B hepatitis virus vaccine.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substantially pure HIV antigen comprising a Gag-Env fusion otein consisting of a Gag peptide fused at its C-terminus to an Env peptide, wherein the Gag peptide comprises a contiguous sequence of at least ten amino acids of the amino acid sequence represented by Gag (308-437) and the Env peptide comprises a contiguous sequence of at least a part of the amino acid sequence represented by Env (512-699), the part containing at least one epitope which is reactive to an HIV antibody. The gag-env fusion DNA corresponding to the HIV antigen of the present invention allows the production of the desired high antigenicity HIV antigen in high yield. Therefore, the HIV antigen of the present invention can be advantageously used as an active component for a diagnostic reagent, a vaccine, an antibody preparation and a therapeutic reagent for AIDS. Also disclosed is a substantially pure HIV antigen comprising a Gag protein SEQ ID No.:1 coded for by the entire gag gene.

Abstract: There is disclosed an antigen comprising an amino acid sequence of the suce antigen of a hepatitis B virus. The present antigen can be produced easily and safely at low cost by means of recombinant DNA technique. The present antigen can be used as an effective vaccine and diagnostic for hepatitis B.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recombinant varicella-zoster virus prepared by inserting into the viral genome, nucleic acids from hepatitis B virus genome, a genomic DNA of the recombinant varicella-zoster virus, a live vaccine containing the recombinant varicella-zoster virus as an effective ingredient, an antigen derived from the recombinant varicella-zoster virus, and diagnostic agent containing the antigen. The recombinant varicella-zoster virus of the present invention can be utilized as a multivalent vaccine having an excellent immunity effect both on chickenpox and hepatitis B, and the expression products and genomic DNA thereof may be used as a multivalent diagnostic agent.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of preparing a plasmid having both the ability of expressing retroviral genes and the ability of effecting the after-translational processing of the encoded products, and the resultant plasmid and the expression products thereof. The method of the present invention is to prepare a plasmid by insertion-linking a cDNA fragment containing at least the protease gene from among-retroviral genes with a highly expressing gene or a gene direct expressing vector, thereby causing expression of the retroviral genes, and at the same time, to process said expression product itself with the protease in that expression product, thereby mass-producing three kinds of core protein encoded by gag gene, and three kinds of enzymes encoded by pol gene, in the form of individual single mature or active proteins.

Abstract: Disclosed is the construction, expression, and purification of chimeric human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag-Env fusion proteins. Gag-Env chimeras were generated by fusing the amino terminus (amino acids 512-611) of the Env protein to the carboxyl terminus of the Gag protein (either amino acids 121-406 or 308-406). These proteins were overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and their immunologic properties ascertained. Both chimeric proteins displayed immunoreactivity towards antisera obtained from HIV-1 seropositive patients. These HIV-1 Gag-Env fusion proteins should provide useful antigens for the detection of HIV-1-specific antibodies.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing retroviral proteins which are protease, everse transcriptase and endonuclease. The method is characterized by the consecutive expression and processing of retroviral genes by the stepwise cultivation of hosts transformed with a vector constructed to carry retroviral gene fragments comprising at least a protease gene and one or more of the other genes coding for retroviral proteins. The retroviral proteins of this invention are used as specific reagents for the diagnosis of retroviral disease, e.g., AIDS, malignant tumors and so forth, also may be used as the basis for research and development of antiviral agents and a vaccine against the above infectious diseases, and for genetic engineering.

Abstract: There is disclosed a DNA which codes for an antigen comprising at least part of an amino acid sequence of the antigen of a flavivirus, which part contains at least one epitope of the flavivirus antigen. The present DNA can be used for producing the antigen easily and safely at low cost by means of recombinant DNA technique. The antigen produced using the present DNA can be used as an effective vaccine and diagnostic for Japanese encephalitis.

Abstract: Disclosed is a non-A, non-B hepatitis virus antigen peptide which exhibits antigen-antibody reaction specificity with at least one of sera from a convalescent patient having acute non-A, non-B hepatitis and sera from a patient having chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis. By the use of the antigen peptide of the present invention, not only the diagnosis of non-A, non-B hepatitis but also the screening of blood for transfusion can be achieved with ease and high reliability. The antigen peptide of the present invention may also be used as the basis for a vaccine against non-A, non-B hepatitis.

Abstract: Disclosed is a non-A, non-B hepatitis virus antigen peptide which exhibits antigen-antibody reaction specificity with at least one of sera from a convalescent patient having acute non-A, non-B hepatitis and sera from a patient having chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis. By the use of the antigen peptide of the present invention, not only the diagnosis of non-A, non-B hepatitis but also the screening of blood for transfusion can be achieved with ease and high reliability. The antigen peptide of the present invention may also be used as the basis for a vaccine against non-A, non-B hepatitis.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for culturing Bordetella pertussis in the presence of a cellulose and/or cellulose derivatives. The present method is useful for obtaining a mixed antigen comprising pertussis toxin and filamentous hemagglutinin in a large amount at low cost. From the antigen, there can be obtained a stable and effective pertussis toxoid to be used for a pertussis vaccine. There is also disclosed a vaccine comprising the pertussis toxoid as an active ingredient and a gelatin and/or gelatin derivatives as a stabilizing agent. The present vaccine is extremely stable and can be stored for a prolonged period of time.