PrSSL Promoter Stability in Recombinant Viral Expression

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current recombinant poxvirus expression systems, particularly those using vaccinia viruses like MVA, face challenges with stability and recombination, leading to reduced immunogenic protein production and instability of nucleic acid sequences, which affects the efficacy of vaccines and protein expression.

Innovation Solution

A novel, short-length promoter (up to 27 nucleotides) is introduced, specifically the PrSSL sequence, which enhances stability and reduces recombination, allowing for high and sustained protein expression by being operably linked to nucleic acids in poxvirus vectors like MVA, thereby improving immunogenicity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional promoters are used in poxvirus vectors, then protein expression can be achieved, but stability and recombination issues lead to reduced immunogenicity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestability of nucleic acid sequenceVSAvoidprotein expression level
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameters of the promoter sequence by identifying and implementing the PrSSL promoter sequence (SEQ ID NO: 1) with specific nucleotide positions that optimize both stability and expression. The promoter contains specific T and A residues at defined positions that create a stable yet highly active transcriptional element, resolving the contradiction between stability and productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent copies the successful PrSSL promoter sequence from natural poxvirus genomes and implements it in recombinant vectors. By copying this evolutionarily optimized promoter sequence, the invention achieves both the stability of natural viral elements and the productivity needed for high-level antigen expression

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If conventional promoters are used in poxvirus vectors, then protein expression can be achieved, but recombination risks reduce expression sustainability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereduction of recombination risksVSAvoidsustained expression level
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The PrSSL promoter sequence contains specific parameter optimizations including a high T+A content in the core region and specific nucleotide arrangements that reduce homology with other viral sequences. This parameter optimization minimizes recombination risks while maintaining sustained high-level expression over the viral replication cycle

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If promoter length is increased to improve expression, then more regulatory elements are available, but stability and recombination risk increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotein expression levelVSAvoidpromoter length
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential core elements of promoter function into a compact PrSSL sequence. By taking out and implementing only the critical T+A-rich region and key nucleotide positions needed for high-level expression, the invention achieves strong productivity while minimizing promoter length and associated complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The PrSSL promoter optimizes expression efficiency through specific parameter changes in a short sequence, including precise T and A residue positioning and nucleotide composition that maximize transcriptional activity without requiring extensive promoter length, thus achieving high productivity with minimal complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2367944B1Promoters for recombinant viral expression
Publication Date: 2019.01.09 BAVARIAN NORDIC AS
  • EP2367944B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2367944B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2367944B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a promoter selected from a group of nucleic acids consisting of: (a) A nucleic acid having a nucleotide sequence as set out in SEQ ID NO: 1; (b) A nucleic acid having a nucleotide sequence derived from the nucleic acid set out in (a), comprising at least one nucleotide addition, deletion, substitution and/or inversion as compared to the nucleotide sequence of (a) and having essentially the same expression characteristics as the nucleic acid of (a); (c) A nucleic acid sequence having at least 70% identity with the nucleic acid of (a) and having essentially the same expression characteristics as the nucleic acid of (a); and (d) A nucleic acid capable of hybridizing to a nucleic acid of (a), (b) or (c) and having essentially the same expression characteristics as the nucleic acid of (a).