Recombinant orf virus vector

Abstract

A nucleic acid molecule can code for an Orf virus vector promoter. A recombinant Orf virus vector can be included in a cell. The nucleic acid molecule, the vector and/or the cell can be included in a composition. The recombinant Orf virus vector can be used for the production of a foreign gene.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding an Orf virus (ORFV) promoter, wherein said nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NO: 1 (P1) and SEQ ID NO: 2 (P2). 
     
     
         2 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 1 , wherein the ORFV promoter is an early ORFV promoter. 
     
     
         3 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 1 , which is a recombinant ORFV vector comprising a further nucleotide sequence encoding and expressing a foreign gene. 
     
     
         4 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 3 , wherein said further nucleotide sequence is localized in at least one of insertion loci (IL) 1, 2 and 3, which are localized in the ORFV genome in the following regions: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   IL 1 
                   IL 2 
                   IL 3 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                   Restriction 
                   HindIII fragment C, 
                   HindIII fragment I/J, 
                   HindIII fragment G/D, 
                 
                   fragment 
                   KpnI fragment G, 
                   KpnI fragment B, 
                   KpnI fragment B, 
                 
                     
                   BamHI fragment C/G, 
                   BamHI fragment A, 
                   BamHI fragment A, 
                 
                     
                   EcoRI fragment B 
                   EcoRI fragment A/E 
                   EcoRI fragment D 
                 
                   and/or 
                 
                   Gene/ORF 
                   006, 
                   102, 
                   114, 
                 
                     
                   007 (dUTPase), 
                   103 
                   115, 
                 
                     
                   008 (G1L-Ank), 
                     
                   116, 
                 
                     
                   009 (G2L) 
                     
                   117 (GIF) 
                 
                   and/or 
                 
                   Nucleotid 
                   nt 500 ± 100 to 
                   nt 5.210 ± 100 to 
                   nt 15.660 ± 100 to 
                 
                   position 
                   nt 2.400 ± 600 
                   nt 7.730 ± 100 
                   nt 17.850 ± 100 
                 
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
               
               
                
               
            
             
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         5 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 4 , wherein ORFV is of the strain D1701. 
     
     
         6 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 3 , wherein the promoter is located at a position of nt 28±10 to nt−13±10, upstream in relation to the further nucleotide sequence encoding the foreign gene. 
     
     
         7 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 4 , wherein at least in one of the IL 1, 2 or 3 there is inserted more than one further nucleotide sequence encoding and expressing a foreign gene. 
     
     
         8 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 7 , wherein the number of the inserted further nucleotide sequences encoding and expressing a foreign gene is selected from the group consisting of: 2, 3, 4 and more than 4. 
     
     
         9 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 3 , wherein the foreign gene is selected from the group consisting of the following antigens:
 a viral antigen;   a tumor antigen;   a tumor associated antigen, including viral tumor associated antigen, including HPV selective viral tumor-associated antigen;   a parasitic antigen; and   a cytokine.   
     
     
         10 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 9 , wherein the viral antigen is:
 a rabies virus antigen, including glycoprotein (RabG); or   an influenza A antigen selected from the group consisting of nucleoprotein (NP), hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA).   
     
     
         11 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 9 , wherein the tumor antigen is a viral tumor associated antigen. 
     
     
         12 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 11 , wherein the viral tumor associated antigen is an HPV selective viral tumor-associated antigen. 
     
     
         13 . The nucleic acid molecule of  claim 9 , wherein the parasitic antigen is plasmodium antigen.