Consensus/ancestral immunogens
The present invention relates, in general, to an immunogen and, in particular, to an immunogen for inducing antibodies that neutralizes a wide spectrum of HIV primary isolates and/or to an immunogen that induces a T cell immune response. The invention also relates to a method of inducing anti-HIV antibodies, and/or to a method of inducing a T cell immune response, using such an immunogen. The invention further relates to nucleic acid sequences encoding the present immunogens.
1. A nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes a group M consensus Env comprising SEQ ID NO: 13, or a Cons-S gp140CFI Env comprising SEQ ID NO: 30, or a CON-S gp140CF Env comprising SEQ ID NO: 36.
2. The nucleic acid according to claim 1 , wherein said nucleotide sequence comprises codons optimized for expression in human cells.
3. The nucleic acid according to claim 2 , wherein said nucleic acid comprises the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14.
4. The nucleic acid according to claim 2 , wherein said nucleic acid comprises the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31.
5. The nucleic acid according to claim 2 , wherein said nucleic acid comprises the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 37.
6. A nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes a recombinant gp120 envelope protein, wherein the recombinant gp120 envelope protein comprises the consecutive amino acid sequence represented by amino acid numbers 30 to 503 of SEQ ID NO: 13.
7. The nucleic acid of claim 6 comprising the consecutive nucleotide sequence from SEQ ID NO: 14 that encodes the consecutive amino acid sequence represented by amino acid numbers 30 to 503 of SEQ ID NO: 13, wherein said nucleotide sequence comprises codons optimized for expression in human cells.
8. A vector comprising the nucleic acid according to claim 1 .
9. An isolated mammalian cell comprising a nucleic acid according to claim 1 for recombinant protein expression.
10. A vector comprising the nucleic acids of claim 6 .
11. A composition comprising the nucleic acid according to claim 1 and a carrier.
12. A method of inducing an immune response in a mammal, the method comprising administering to said mammal the composition of claim 11 in an amount sufficient to effect such induction.
13. A composition comprising the nucleic acid according to claim 1 and a carrier, wherein the nucleic acid comprises a nucleotide sequence that encodes a group M consensus Env comprising SEQ ID NO: 13 and a carrier.
14. A composition comprising the nucleic acid according to claim 6 and a carrier.
15. An isolated mammalian cell comprising the nucleic acid according to claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid comprises a nucleotide sequence that encodes a group M consensus Env comprising SEQ ID NO: 13 or recombinant protein expression.
16. An isolated mammalian cell comprising the nucleic acid according to claim 6 for recombinant protein expression.
17. A method of inducing an immune response in a mammal, the method comprising administering to said mammal the composition of claim 13 in an amount sufficient to effect such induction.
18. A method of inducing an immune response in a mammal, the method comprising administering to said mammal the composition of claim 14 in an amount sufficient to effect such induction.