Composite antigenic sequences and vaccines
The invention relates to composite antigens comprising a peptide with contiguous amino acid sequence derived from a plurality of antigenic epitopes of one or more pathogens that induces an immune response in a mammal that is protective against infection by the one or more pathogens. In addition, the invention relates to vaccines comprising composite antigens and to method for treating and preventing an infection.
1. A composite antigen comprising an amino acid sequence containing amino acids that are in common between sequences of epitopes of multiple conserved regions, and amino acids that differ between the sequences of epitopes of multiple conserved regions, wherein the amino acid sequence has the formula An1BCAn2, wherein A represents the amino acids that are in common between sequences of epitopes of multiple conserved regions, B and C represent the sequences of amino acids that differ between the sequences of epitopes of multiple conserved regions, wherein A, B, and C are naturally occurring amino acids, n1 and n2 total to less than 25, and the number of B and C amino acids is each less than 3, which comprises SEQ ID No. 21, 22, 54, 55, 58, or 59.
2. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the multiple conserved regions are derived from multiple serotypes of a same pathogen.
3. The composite of claim 2 , wherein the same pathogen is influenza virus.
4. A recombinant polynucleotide that encodes the composite antigen of claim 1 .
5. The composite antigen of claim 1 , wherein the epitopes of multiple conserved regions are amino acid sequences of M1, M2, HA, NA, PB1, or PB2 region of influenza virus, or combinations thereof.
6. The composite antigen of claim 1 , wherein the amino acid sequence comprises one or more repetitions of a same epitope, one or more repetitions of different epitopes, one or more composite epitopes, or a combination thereof.
7. The composite antigen of claim 1 , which contains epitopes that generate a T cell response, a B cell response, or both when administered to a mammal.
8. A composite antigen comprising an amino acid sequence containing amino acids that are in common between similar epitopes of multiple pathogens, and amino acids that differ between similar epitopes of the multiple pathogens, wherein the amino acid sequence has the formula An1BCAn2, wherein A represents the amino acids in sequence that are in common, B and C represent the amino acids that differ, wherein A, B, and C are naturally occurring amino acids, and the number of B and C amino acids is each less than 3, which comprises SEQ ID No. 21, 22, 54, 55, 58, or 59.
9. The composite antigen of claim 8 , wherein the multiple pathogens are of the same species.
10. The composite antigen of claim 9 , wherein the same species of the pathogen is influenza virus.
11. The composite antigen of claim 8 , which contains epitopes that generate a T cell response, a B cell response, or both when administered to a mammal.
12. The composite antigen of claim 8 , wherein similar epitopes are amino acid sequences of M1, M2, HA, NA, PB1, or PB2, or combinations thereof.
13. The composite antigen of claim 8 , wherein the amino acid sequence comprises one or more repetitions of the similar epitope, one or more repetitions of a different epitope, one or more composite epitopes, or a combination thereof.
14. A recombinant polynucleotide that encodes the composite antigen of claim 8 .
15. The composite antigen of claim 8 , comprising the sequence of SEQ ID No. 21.
16. The composite antigen of claim 8 , comprising the sequence of SEQ ID No. 22.
17. The composite antigen of claim 8 , comprising the sequence of SEQ ID No. 54.
18. The composite antigen of claim 8 , comprising the sequence of SEQ ID No. 55.
19. The composite antigen of claim 8 , comprising the sequence of SEQ ID No. 58.
20. The composite antigen of claim 8 , comprising the sequence of SEQ ID No. 59.
21. An antigen comprising the sequence of SEQ ID No. 7.
22. An antigen comprising the sequence of SEQ ID No. 65.
23. An antigen comprising the sequence of SEQ ID No. 66.
24. An antigen comprising the sequence of SEQ ID No. 67.
25. An antigen comprising the sequence of SEQ ID No. 70.
26. An antigen comprising the sequence of SEQ ID No. 77.
27. A recombinant polynucleotide that encodes the composite antigen of claim 21 .
28. A recombinant polynucleotide that encodes the composite antigen of claim 22 .
29. A recombinant polynucleotide that encodes the composite antigen of claim 23 .
30. A recombinant polynucleotide that encodes the composite antigen of claim 24 .
31. A recombinant polynucleotide that encodes the composite antigen of claim 25 .
32. A recombinant polynucleotide that encodes the composite antigen of claim 26 .