A vaccine composition comprising a fusion protein for inducing enhanced pathogen antigen-specific T cell responses is disclosed. The fusion protein comprises: (a) an antigen-presenting cell (APC)-binding domain or a CD91 receptor-binding domain, located at the N-terminus of the fusion protein; (b) a translocation peptide of 34-112 amino acid residues in length, comprising an amino acid sequence that is at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO: 4, 2, 3, or 6, located at the C-terminus of the APC-binding domain or the CD91 receptor-binding domain; and (c) an antigen of a pathogen, located at the C-terminus of the translocation peptide; (d) a nuclear export signal, comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 13; and (e) an endoplasmic reticulum retention sequence, located at the C-terminus of the fusion protein.

A fusion protein for use as an immunogen enhancer for enhancing antigen-specific T cell responses is disclosed. The fusion protein comprises: (a) an antigen-presenting cell (APC)-binding domain or a CD91 receptor-binding domain; (b) a protein transduction domain; and (c) an antigen of a pathogen, wherein the APC-binding domain or the CD91 receptor-binding domain is located at the N-terminus of the fusion protein, and the antigen of the pathogen is located at the C-terminus of the protein transduction domain. The protein transduction domain is selected from the group consisting of: (i) a fusion polypeptide, comprising a T cell sensitizing signal-transducing peptide, a linker, and a translocation peptide; (ii) a T cell-sensitizing signal-transducing peptide; and (iii) a translocation peptide of 34-112 amino acid residues in length.

The present invention relates to a vaccinia virus recombinant A33R protein and a kit for diagnosing antibodies against orthopoxvirus containing the same, and more particularly, to a recombinant A33R protein in which the transmembrane domain of the vaccinia virus A33R protein is replaced with a peptide linker, a recombinant vector for efficiently expressing the recombinant A33R protein, a transgenic organism, a method for producing the recombinant A33R protein, a composition and kit for diagnosing antibodies against orthopoxvirus containing the recombinant A33R protein.

The invention relates to protein-based T-cell receptor knockdown, and its use in T-cell therapies.

This invention provides biosensors, cell models, and methods of their use for monitoring heme and oxygen. Biosensors can include targeting domains, sensing domains and reporting domains. Biosensors can be introduced into cells reprogrammed to represent experimental or pathologic cells of interest. Model cells expressing the biosensors can be contacted with putative bioactive agents to determine possible activities.

A porcine circovirus type-2 (PCV2) immunogenic composition includes an antigenic peptide. The antigenic peptide is a non-arginine-rich peptide of a PCV2 open reading frame 2 (ORF2) and/or a recombinant fusion protein having the non-arginine-rich peptide of the PCV2 ORF2, a PE peptide, and a KDEL signal peptide. The number of arginines of the non-arginine-rich peptide of the PCV2 ORF2 is not greater than half of the number of arginines of the arginine-rich domain of the N terminal of the PCV2 ORF2.

The invention relates to building a chimeric polypeptide used for preventing or treating a Flaviviridae infection. The use of the inventive chimeric polypeptide for producing recombinant viral vectors such as a measles living viral vector is also disclosed.

The invention relates to cellular localization signals. In particular, the invention relates to endoplasmic reticulum localization signals in monomeric or multimeric form. The localization signals are utilized as research tools or are linked to therapeutics. Disclosed are methods of making and using polypeptides and modified polypeptides as signals to localize therapeutics, experimental compounds, peptides, proteins and/or other macromolecules to the endoplasmic reticulum of eukaryotic cells. The polypeptides of the invention optionally include linkage to reporters, epitopes and/or other experimental or therapeutic molecules. The invention also encompasses polynucleotides encoding the localization signals and vectors comprising these polynucleotides.

Disclosed herein are methods for the large-scale production of a highly thermally stable acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). Additionally, the expression methods disclosed herein can produce ChE preparations consisting of extract or purified forms that can be produced in high amounts and are highly thermally stable. These ChE products can be used in vitro detection, detoxification and decontamination methods.

The present disclosure provides opsins, including variant opsins with increased activity and/or increased trafficking to the plasma membrane. The opsins are useful in therapeutic and screening applications, which are also provided.