HEPATITIS E VIRUS CLONES AND METHODS OF THEIR USE

摘要

Full-length cDNA clones of the Sar-55 strain of HEV that are infectious in primates are disclosed. The invention relates to HEV nucleic acid sequences, their encoded proteins, any variants thereof, and HEV antibodies for developing vaccines of HEV, and detecting, preventing, and/or treating hepatitis E in a mammal. In particular, the invention provides nucleic acid sequences comprising infectious hepatitis E viruses of the Pakastani (Sar-55) strain. The invention therefore relates to the use of these sequences, and polypeptides encoded by all or part of these sequences, in the development of vaccines and diagnostic assays for HEV and in the development of screening assays for the identification of antiviral agents for HEV.