Production of human t-cell leukemia (lymphotropic) retrovirus (htlv-i) envelope protein fragments in bacteria and use in seroepidemiological survey of human lymphoid malignancies

Abstract From the Canadian patent

Two regions of the gene for the HTLV-I envelope were expressed in Escherichia coli by use of the vector pJLAl6. One corresonds to the carboxy-terminal region of the major envelope protein p46 and the other corresponds to the transmembrane protein p2lE. Reactivity of the expressed protein with human sera was tested by Western blot procedure. Each of the sera tested that had been shown to contain anti-HTLV-I or anti-HTLV-II antibodies by ELISA assay recognized the bacterially synthesized envelope proteins. There was no reaction detected when control sera. were tested. This system is useful for large scale seroepidemiological surveys for this and related human retroviruses.