Patent ID: 6248513
Filing Date: 2001-06-19
Classification: C07K,C12N,C12Q,G01N

Abstract:
In a process for in vitro detection of an infection of cells of a human by human cytomegalovirus, which comprises the step of contacting intact cells of said human or extracts of cells of said human with monoclonal antibodies which react with polypeptides produced by said cells when infected by human cytomegalovirus, the improvement in said process which comprises:a) said monoclonal antibodies reacting with said cells and being detectable when said cells have previously been i) infected with human cytomegalovirus and ii) cultured; andb) said monoclonal antibodies reacting selectively with a single polypeptide in said cells to form a complex with said polypeptide; said polypeptide having a molecular weight of about 68,000 and being recognized by the monoclonal antibody produced in the hybridoma deposited in the C.N.C.M. (National Collection of Microorganisms and Cultures) under accession No. I-289; said polypeptide being present in the nuclei of said cells and diffusing from said nuclei into the cytoplasm of said cells when said cells are infected by human cytomegalovirus; said polypeptide which is inducible in human cells by human cytornegalovirus persisting throughout the infectious cycle; said polypeptide possessing a protein-kinase activity; and said polypeptide being a viral polypeptide induced in the nuclei of cells infected by human cytomegalovirus.