Compositions And Methods Involving Respiratory Syncytial Virus Subgroup B Strain 9320

Abstract

The complete polynucleotide sequence of the human respiratory syncytial virus subgroup B strain 9320 genome is provided. Proteins encoded by this polynucleotide sequence are also provided. Isolated or recombinant RSV (e.g., attenuated recombinant RSV), nucleic acids, and polypeptides, e.g., comprising mutations in the attachment protein G, are also provided, as are immunogenic compositions comprising such isolated or recombinant RSV, nucleic acids, and polypeptides. Related methods are also described.

1 - 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . A method for stimulating the immune system of an individual to produce a protective immune response against respiratory syncytial virus, the method comprising administering to the individual an immunologically effective amount of the recombinant respiratory syncytial virus in a physiologically acceptable carrier, wherein said recombinant respiratory syncytial virus comprises an isolated or recombinant nucleic acid comprising a polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) SEQ ID NO:1 or a complementary polynucleotide sequence thereof;   (b) a polynucleotide sequence that is greater than 97.8% identical to SEQ ID NO:1 or a complementary polynucleotide sequence thereof, as determined by BLASTN using default parameters;   (c) a polynucleotide sequence that hybridizes under stringent conditions over substantially the entire length of a polynucleotide subsequence comprising at least 100 contiguous nucleotides of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a complementary polynucleotide sequence thereof, wherein the polynucleotide sequence hybridizes to the polynucleotide subsequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or the complementary polynucleotide sequence thereof under said stringent conditions with at least 2× a signal to noise ratio that the polynucleotide sequence hybridizes to a corresponding polynucleotide subsequence of SEQ ID NO: 13 or a complementary polynucleotide sequence thereof;   (d) a polynucleotide sequence comprising at least one unique polynucleotide subsequence comprising at least 10 contiguous nucleotides of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a complementary polynucleotide sequence thereof, with the proviso that the unique polynucleotide subsequence includes—at least one subsequence not included in SEQ ID NOs:14-19 or a complementary polynucleotide sequence thereof; and   (e) a polynucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid sequence or unique subsequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:2-11 or an artificial conservative variation thereof.   
     
     
         41 - 53 . (canceled) 
     
     
         54 . A method for stimulating the immune system of an individual to produce a protective immune response against respiratory syncytial virus, the method comprising administering to the individual an immunologically effective amount of an isolated or recombinant polypeptide in a physiologically acceptable carrier, wherein the isolated or recombinant polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:2-11.   (b) a unique amino acid subsequence comprising at least 7 contiguous amino acid residues of any one of SEQ ID NOs:2-11;   (c) an amino acid sequence or subsequence corresponding to an artificial conservative variation of an amino acid sequence or subsequence of (a) or (b);   (d) an amino acid sequence that is greater than 99.3% identical to SEQ ID NO:2, an amino acid sequence that is greater than 98.4% identical to SEQ ID NO:3, an amino acid sequence that is greater than 99.7% identical to SEQ ID NO:4, an amino acid sequence that is greater than 98.3% identical to SEQ ID NO:5, an amino acid sequence that is greater than 99.6% identical to SEQ ID NO:6, an amino acid sequence that is greater than 97.0% identical to SEQ ID NO:7, an amino acid sequence that is greater than 99.3% identical to SEQ ID NO:8, an amino acid sequence that is greater than 99.5% identical to SEQ ID NO:9, an amino acid sequence that is greater than 96.4% identical to SEQ ID NO: 10, or an amino acid sequence that is greater than 99.2% identical to SEQ ID NO:11, as determined by BLASTP using default parameters; and   (e) an amino acid sequence or subsequence that is specifically bound by an antibody that specifically binds to an amino acid sequence or subsequence encoded by SEQ ID NO:1, wherein said antibody does not specifically bind to an amino acid sequence or subsequence encoded by SEQ ID NO: 13 or SEQ ID NO: 14.   
     
     
         55 - 61 . (canceled) 
     
     
         62 . A method for stimulating the immune system of an individual to produce a protective immune response against respiratory syncytial virus, the method comprising administering to the individual an immunologically effective amount of an isolated or recombinant polypeptide in a physiologically acceptable carrier, wherein the isolated or recombinant polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 12 with a deletion of residues 164-197, or an artificial conservative variation thereof 
     
     
         63 - 65 . (canceled) 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the isolated or recombinant polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of (d) is at least 99.5% identical to SEQ ID NO:2, at least 98.6% identical to SEQ ID NO:3, at least 99.9% identical to SEQ ID NO:4, at least 98.5% identical to SEQ ID NO:5, at least 99.8% identical to SEQ ID NO:6, at least 97.2% identical to SEQ ID NO:7, at least 99.5% identical to SEQ ID NO:8, at least 99.7% identical to SEQ ID NO:9, at least 96.6% identical to SEQ ID NO:10, or at least 99.4% identical to SEQ ID NO:11, as determined by BLASTP using default parameters. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the isolated or recombinant polypeptide comprises at least one artificially altered amino acid. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein the at least one artificially altered amino acid comprises one or more of: a deleted amino acid, an inserted amino acid, or a substituted amino acid. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein the isolated or recombinant polypeptide comprises a plurality of artificially altered amino acids. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 54  wherein the isolated or recombinant polypeptide comprising the unique amino acid subsequence of (b) or the artificial conservative variation of (c) is immunogenic.