Chimeric papillomavirus-like particles

Abstract

The present invention provides a papillomavirus-like particle, characterized as having conformational epitopes, comprising a papillomavirus L1 product and a papillomavirus L2 fusion product; and related synthetic DNA molecules, host cells, methods and vaccines.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A papillomavirus-like particle, characterized as having conformational epitopes, comprising a papillomavirus L1 product and a papillomavirus L2 fusion product.  
     
     
         2 . The papillomavirus-like particle of  claim 1  wherein said papillomavirus L2 fusion product is characterized as being a human papillomavirus L2 fusion product or a bovine papillomavirus L2 fusion product.  
     
     
         3 . The papillomavirus-like particle of  claim 2  wherein said human papillomavirus L2 fusion product is characterized as being a HPV16 L2 fusion product and said bovine papillomavirus L2 fusion product is characterized as being a BPV1 L2 fusion product.  
     
     
         4 . The papillomavirus-like particle of  claim 1  wherein said papillomavirus L2 fusion product comprises a fusion partner characterized as being a peptide or a full-length protein, or comprises fusion partners that include peptides or full-length proteins or combinations thereof linked in tandem.  
     
     
         5 . The papillomavirus-like particle of  claim 4  wherein said fusion partner is a papillomavirus E6 or E7 product.  
     
     
         6 . The papillomavirus-like particle of  claim 1  wherein said papillomavirus L2 fusion product is characterized as being fused at its N-terminus or C-terminus end to a fusion partner.  
     
     
         7 . The papillomavirus-like particle of  claim 1  wherein said papillomavirus L2 fusion product is characterized as having a fusion partner inserted between L2 amino acids.  
     
     
         8 . The papillomavirus-like particle of  claim 1  wherein said papillomavirus L1 product is characterized as being a human papillomavirus L1 product or a bovine papillomavirus L1 product.  
     
     
         9 . The papillomavirus-like particle of  claim 8  wherein said human papillomavirus L1 product is characterized as being a HPV16 L1 product and said bovine papillomavirus L1 product is characterized as being a BPV1 L1 product.  
     
     
         10 . The papillomavirus-like particle of  claim 1  consisting essentially of HPV16L1 and HPV16L2-HPV16E7 (full-length), wherein HPV16E7 is fused to the C-terminus end of HPV16L2, BPVL1 and BPVL2-HPV16E7 (full-length), wherein HPV16E7 is fused to the C-terminus end of BPVL2, or BPVL1 and BPVL2-HPV16E7 (amino acids 1-30), wherein HPV16E7 is fused to BPVL2 between L2 amino acids 274 and 275.  
     
     
         11 . One or more synthetic DNA molecule or molecules characterized as singly or doubly encoding a papillomavirus L1 product and a papillomavirus L2 fusion product wherein said molecule or molecules direct expression in a transformed host cell of a papillomavirus-like particle, characterized as having conformational epitopes, comprising said papillomavirus L1 product and said papillomavirus L2 fusion product.  
     
     
         12 . The DNA molecule or molecules of  claim 11  wherein said transformed host cell is an insect host cell and said DNA molecule or molecules further comprise an insect cell vector, said transformed host cell is a mammalian host cell and said DNA molecule or molecules further comprise a mammalian cell vector, or said transformed host cell is a yeast host cell and said DNA molecule or molecules further comprise a yeast cell vector.  
     
     
         13 . A host cell transformed with the DNA molecule or molecules of  claim 11 .  
     
     
         14 . A method for using the DNA molecule or molecules of  claim 11  comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing conditions for said molecule or molecules to direct said expression; and  
 (b) recovering said papillomavirus-like particle from said transformed host cell.  
 
     
     
         15 . A method for producing a papillomavirus-like particle, characterized as having conformational epitopes, comprising a papillomavirus L1 product and a papillomavirus L2 fusion product, which method comprises the step of providing conditions for the DNA molecule or molecules of  claim 11  to direct expression in said transformed host cell of said papillomavirus-like particle.  
     
     
         16 . A method of purification of the papillomavirus-like particle of  claim 1  comprising the step of exposing the papillomavirus-like particle of  claim 1  to an affinity chromatography column, comprising antibodies that bind to a fusion partner of the papillomavirus L2 fusion product of the papillomavirus-like particle of  claim 1 , resulting in the purification of said particle.  
     
     
         17 . A method of purification of a fusion partner of the papillomavirus L2 fusion product of the papillomavirus-like particle of  claim 1  comprising the step of isolating the papillomavirus-like particle of  claim 1  resulting in the purification of said fusion partner.  
     
     
         18 . A method of delivery into a cell of a fusion partner of the papillomavirus L2 fusion product of the papillomavirus-like particle of  claim 1  comprising the step of administering the papillomavirus-like particle of  claim 1  to said cell resulting in the delivery into said cell of said fusion partner.  
     
     
         19 . A vaccine comprising the papillomavirus-like particle of  claim 1.