| abstract |
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 enough to reach from one side of the bilayer to the other in order to hold the proteins in the membrane. Provided is a vaccine, a method of producing this vaccine, and a method of using this vaccine, based on the differences between membranes of viruses replicated in invertebrates and membranes of viruses replicated in vertebrates. |