Membrane virus host range mutations and their uses as vaccine substrates

Abstract From the Canadian patent

The vaccines and methods of the present invention are based on deletion mutations in the protein transmembrane domains of membrane-enveloped viruses. The strategy for production of these mutations is based on the fact that unlike mammalian cell membranes, the membranes of insect cells contain no cholesterol; thus are thinner than mammalian membranes. Many membrane-coated viruses have membrane glycoproteins on their surface which are responsible for identifying and infecting target cells. These membrane glycoproteins have hydrophobic membrane-spanning domains which anchor the proteins in the membrane bilayer. The membrane-spanning domains of these transmembrane proteins must be long …