Abstract: The present invention provides bivalent oral vaccines against infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) and infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV). Yeast cells comprise an expression vector comprising (i) a polynucleotide sequence encoding a VP2 capsid protein of IPNV and (ii) a polynucleotide sequence encoding one or more antigenic epitopes of hemaglutinin of ISAV. The yeast cells express sub-viral particles (SVP) comprising a VP2 capsid protein of IPNV and one or more antigenic epitopes of hemaglutinin of ISAV. The yeast cells and SVP may be administered in an effective amount to increase the amount of antibodies against IPNV and ISAV in the fish, preferably Salmonidae. The yeast cells and SVP may be in the form of fish food for administering to the fish orally.

Abstract: The present invention provides bivalent oral vaccines against infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) and infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV). Yeast cells comprise an expression vector comprising (i) a polynucleotide sequence encoding a VP2 capsid protein of IPNV and (ii) a polynucleotide sequence encoding one or more antigenic epitopes of hemaglutinin of ISAV. The yeast cells express sub-viral particles (SVP) comprising a VP2 capsid protein of IPNV and one or more antigenic epitopes of hemaglutinin of ISAV. The yeast cells and SVP may be administered in an effective amount to increase the amount of antibodies against IPNV and ISAV in the fish, preferably Salmonidae. The yeast cells and SVP may be in the form of fish food for administering to the fish orally.

Abstract: The method described herein provides a novel platform utilizing yeast as a biological non-host system to express and assemble whole viruses for use as attenuated or killed vaccines.

Abstract: The invention relates to the fields of viruses, vaccines and compounds and methods for expression. In particular, the invention includes methods and agents capable of producing quantities of a vaccine to a positive sense single stranded RNA (“(+)sense RNA”)virus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to constructs and methods for the production of recombinant proteins, viruses, and viral vaccines in heterologous culture systems by expressing intact genes or viral genomes under the control of a pantropic promoter in a culture system that is not considered a host to the virus so produced. The promoter/viral genome constructs are inserted into a baculovirus and expressed in mammalian non-host cells for the baculovirus.

Abstract: Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), the etiologic agent of infectious pancreatic necrosis in salmonid fish, causes significant losses to the aquaculture industry. The gene for the viral capsid protein (VP2) was cloned into a yeast expression vector and expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisae. Expression of the capsid gene in yeast resulted in formation of approximately 20 nanometer sub-viral particles composed solely of VP2 protein. Anti-IPNV antibodies were detected in rainbow trout vaccinated either by injection of purified VP2-subviral particles (rVP2-SVP) or by feeding recombinant yeast expressing rVP2-SVP. Challenge of rVP2-SVP immunized trout with a heterologous IPNV strain and subsequent viral load determination showed that both injection and orally vaccinated fish had lower IPNV loads than naive or sham-vaccinated fish.

Abstract: Methods and constructs for genetic manipulation of one or more of shrimp, shellfish, mollusks, and fish are disclosed. The nucleic acid construct includes a promoter and an internal ribosome entry site of an insect picomavirus, such as a cricket paralysis-like picomavirus. One or more open reading frames can be operably associated with one or both of the promoter and the internal ribosome entry site, and one or more proteins or protein subunits can be expressed upon introduction of the construct into a host cell, such as into a shrimp. Method for producing immortalized crustacean cell lines using enhancer elements derived from shrimp and/or shrimp viruses are also described.

Abstract: Methods and constructs for genetic manipulation of one or more of shrimp, shellfish, mollusks, and fish are disclosed. The nucleic acid construct includes a promoter and an internal ribosome entry site of an insect picomavirus, such as a cricket paralysis-like picomavirus. One or more open reading frames can be operably associated with one or both of the promoter and the internal ribosome entry site, and one or more proteins or protein subunits can be expressed upon introduction of the construct into a host cell, such as into a shrimp. Method for producing immortalized crustacean cell lines using enhancer elements derived from shrimp and/or shrimp viruses are also described.

Abstract: Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), the etiologic agent of infectious pancreatic necrosis in salmonid fish, causes significant losses to the aquaculture industry. The gene for the viral capsid protein (VP2) was cloned into a yeast expression vector and expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisae. Expression of the capsid gene in yeast resulted in formation of approximately 20 nanometer sub-viral particles composed solely of VP2 protein. Anti-IPNV antibodies were detected in rainbow trout vaccinated either by injection of purified VP2-subviral particles (rVP2-SVP) or by feeding recombinant yeast expressing rVP2-SVP. Challenge of rVP2-SVP immunized trout with a heterologous IPNV strain and subsequent viral load determination showed that both injection and orally vaccinated fish had lower IPNV loads than naive or sham-vaccinated fish.

Abstract: A real-time assay coupled with a non-invasive tissue sampling was developed for the detection and quantification of fish viruses. As a proof of principles, data were presented for the detection and quantification of infectious hypodermal necrosis virus (IHNV) in trout. The primers were designed for IHNV nucleocapsid (N), and surface glycoprotein (G) genes, and trout &bgr;-actin and elongation factor-l&agr; (EF-I &agr;) were used as internal control for the assay. The reaction conditions for the real-time RT-PCR were optimized using cDNA derived from IHNV-infected Epithelioma papulosum cyprinid (EPC) cells. Using both N- and G-gene primers, IHNV was successfully detected in liver, kidney, spleen, adipose tissue and pectoral fin samples of laboratory-challenged and wild samples. The dissociation curves with a single melting peak at expected temperature (85° C. for the N-gene and 86.5° C. for the G-gene) confirmed the specificity of the N- and G-gene amplicons.

Abstract: The invention is directed to compositions (e.g., feeds, feed supplements, and therapeutic products) and methods for inhibiting an animal pathogen using RNA-interference technology.