Abstract: The present invention discloses and claims vaccines containing, as an active ingredient, a secreted recombinantly produced dimeric form of truncated flaviviral envelope protein. The vaccines are capable of eliciting the production of neutralizing antibodies against flaviviruses. The dimeric forms of truncated flaviviral envelope protein are formed 1) by directly linking two tandem copies of 80% E in a head to tail fashion via a flexible tether; 2) via the formation of a leucine zipper domain through the homodimeric association of two leucine zipper helices each fused to the carboxy terminus of an 80% E molecule; or 3) via the formation of a non-covalently associated four-helix bundle domain formed upon association of two helix-turn-helix moieties each attached to the carboxy terminus of an 80% E molecule.

Abstract: The present invention discloses and claims vaccines containing, as an active ingredient, a secreted recombinantly produced dimeric form of truncated flaviviral envelope protein. The vaccines are capable of eliciting the production of neutralizing antibodies against flaviviruses. The dimeric forms of truncated flaviviral envelope protein are formed 1) by directly linking two tandem copies of 80% E in a head to tail fashion via a flexible tether; 2) via the formation of a leucine zipper domain through the homodimeric association of two leucine zipper helices each fused to the carboxy terminus of an 80% E molecule; or 3) via the formation of a non-covalently associated four-helix bundle domain formed upon association of two helix-turn-helix moieties each attached to the carboxy terminus of an 80% E molecule.