Abstract:
A gene of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) which encodes immunogenic outer surface viral proteins has been identified by DNA sequence analysis. This gene can hybrid select messenger RNA which encodes and expresses a protein which reacts with human canvalescent zoster sera and with polyclonal monospecific antisera which neutralize viral infectivity. These proteins are useful for the preparation of a vaccine for VZV.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Chickenpox is caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a member of the herpesvirus group. The disease occurs in persons with no prior VZV immunity. VZV-specific antibodies can be demonstrated shortly after onset of disease, decline during convalescence, but remain detectable for many years and correlate with immunity to the disease. Chickenpox is highly contagious; over 90% of the population becomes exposed to VZV before they are 20 years old. In most, if not all cases, VZV apparently becomes latent in dorsal root ganglion cells. From this latent state, VZV can reactivate and cause zoster even in the presence of specific antibodies, probably as a result of weakened cellular immunity. The disease is highly morbid to the immunosuppressed and to those beyond the second decade. 
     VZV has five major glycoproteins on its surface: gp115 (115,000 dalton glycoprotein), gp105, gp92, gp83, gp55. These glycoproteins apparently are the products of three genes: gA (gp105), gB (gp115, in the non-reduced state, composed of the reduced species gp62 and gp57), and gC (gp92, gp83, gp55). Monoclonal antibodies to gA and gB display complement-independent neutralization, and monoclonal antibodies to gC display complement-dependent neutralization. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide antigens which will prevent diseases associated with VZV infections. Another object is to provide antigens which can be used diagnostically to measure VZV antibody titers. Another object is to provide methods for the preparation of these antigens. Another object is to provide methods for using the antigens to raise antibodies, both in vivo and in vitro, to VZV. Another object is to describe the full sequence of protein antigens which will include peptide antigens which may be synthesized by other means or expressed in expression vectors. These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The DNA sequence of the VZV gB gene has been identified. A fragment of this sequence has been used to hybrid-select mRNA from VZV-infected cells. In vitro translational products from this mRNA have been immunoprecipitated by guinea pig antibodies raised to gB purified by monoclonal antibody affinity chromatography. Such proteins are useful for the preparation of a vaccine to VZV. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to the identification of the VZV DNA segment which encodes the protective immunogenic gB glycoproteins. More specifically, it is directed to a 2.6 Kilobase pair (Kbp) DNA fragment whose respective nucleotide sequence and derived amino acid sequences have been located within the known sequence of the entire VZV genome. 
     The present invention also is directed to vectors containing all or part of this 2.6 Kbp DNA fragment. The invention also is directed to host cells which contain these vectors and which cells are capable of expressing all or part of the peptides encoded by the 2.6 Kbp fragment. In accordance with known techniques, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that parts of the foregoing peptides could be chemically synthesized or modified and retain their immunogenicity. Therefore, the present invention also is directed toward chemical synthesis of domains of these proteins, especially domains including and surrounding hydrophilic regions and threonine or serine and asparagine-X-serine or asparagine-X-threonine residues wherein X is any amino acid residue, since these domains are likely to reside on the outer surface of the virus. 
     The DNA segment which encodes RNA translatable to gB polypeptides is identified precisely as follows: 
     Several viral glycoproteins, gp115, gp62 and gp57 (also referred to as gp1 and gp3 or &#34;disulfide-linked dimer&#34;) are crossreactive with monoclonal antibodies and have been proposed to be the products of the gB glycoprotein gene. In order to map this gene on the VZV genome, plasmids from a VZV genomic DNA library have been used to hybrid-select RNA from VZV-infected cells. In vitro translational products are immunoprecipitated by guinea pig antibodies raised to gB purified by monoclonal antibody affinity chromatography. These antibodies are capable of neutralizing viral infectivity. By this analysis, it is found that a 100 Kilodalton (KD) polypeptide can be immunoprecipitated from mRNA selected by the HindIII-D fragment. DNA sequence analysis of this region of the VZV genome reveals a 2.6 kbp open reading frame (ORF) which could encode a 100 KD protein with a glycoprotein-like structure (hydrophobic leader, hydrophobic anchor, 9 N-glycosylation recognition sites). This ORF DNA is cloned from the HindIII-D fragment and shown capable of hybrid-selecting mRNA with a 100 KD translational product. Furthermore, the immunoprecipitability of the 100  KD species can be blocked specifically by immune-affinity purified gB. In addition, VZV gB has been purified by immune-affinity chromatography. When injected to guinea pigs, this protein is capable of eliciting the formation of antibodies which neutralize VZV infecivity in vitro. Partial amino acid sequence analysis of the purified VZV gB reveals identity to the amino acid sequence imputed from the DNA sequence of the 2.6 kbp ORF. We conclude that this ORF in the HindIII-D fragment is the glycoprotein gB gene and specifies a gene product carrying neutralization epitopes. 
     In accordance with known techniques, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that all or part of the above-mentioned DNA fragment can be placed into an expression vector system in order to produce all or part of the protective immunogenic polypeptide. Such an expression vector system often consists of a plasmid which is inserted into a prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell in order to direct expression of a foreign polypeptide. Such a plasmid usually contains sequences for selection of host cells containing the plasmid, for amplification of plasmid copy number within the host cell, for initiation of transcription of the foreign polypeptide, for termination of transcription of the foreign polypeptide, in addition to the coding sequence per se which specifies the foreign polypeptide. Therefore, the present invention also is directed to host cells and vectors containing all or part of the 2.6 Kbp DNA fragment. 
     Examples of suitable hosts for expression of VZV proteins include prokaryotic organisms, such as E coli and B. subtilis, and eukaryotic organisms such as S. cerevisiae and continuous mammalian cell lines including but not limited to Chinese Hamster Ovary cells and Vero cells. 
     These proteins are useful individually or in combination when placed in a physiologically acceptable carrier, e.g., saline or phosphate buffered saline, to protect against VZV disease when administered to a member of a susceptible mammalian species, in amount of approximately 5 to 150 mcg per dose, preferably from approximately 10 to 50 mcg per dose. One or more doses may be administered to produce effective protection against VZV disease. The protein may be administered by injection, e.g., subcutaneously or intramuscularly. It is also to be understood that these proteins can be directly expressed in humans by means of appropriate viral expression vectors such as adeno, vaccinia, or herpes simplex. 
    
    
     The following examples illustrate the present invention without, however, limiting the same thereto. The disclosure of each reference mentioned in the following examples is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     EXAMPLE I 
     DNA fragment which can select RNA encoding the precursor protein to gB glycoproteins. 
     Cytoplasmic RNAs were prepared from VZV-infected MRC-5 cells as described (J. M. Chirgwin et al., Biochemistry 18: 5294 (1979)). The RNAs encoded by the different VZV HindIII fragments were selected by hybridization to cloned VZV HindIII DNA fragments (J. R. Ecker &amp; R. W. Hyman, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 79: 156 (1982)) bound to nitrocellulose (J. A. Cooper et al., J. Virology 37: 284 (1981)). These RNAs were translated in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate. The polypeptide products were immunoprecipitated by polyclonal monospecific guinea pig antibodies raised to gB purified by monoclonal antibody affinity chromatography. (This purification is described below in Example V). By this analysis, it was found that a 100 KD in vitro translational product from mRNA selected by the VZV HindIII-D fragment could be immunoprecipitated by the anti-gB antibodies which neutralize viral infectivity. (The neutralization data are described below in Example IV). 
     EXAMPLE II 
     DNA fragment of HindIII-D DNA containing a large ORF 
     Sequence analysis of the HindIII-D fragment from the VZV genome revealed an ORF which could encode a 100 KD protein with a glycoprotein-like structure (hydrophobic leader, hydrophobic anchor, 9 N-glycosylation recognition sites). A segment of this ORF DNA was cloned from the HindIII-D fragment and shown capable of hybrid selecting mRNA with a 100 KD translational product which was immunoprecipitable both by monospecific guinea pig sera and convalescent zoster sera. Furthermore, the immunoprecipitability by both sera of the 100 KD species could be blocked specifically by immune-affinity purified gB but not by another major VZV glycoprotein. Therefore, this segment of HindIII-D DNA was identified as the gB gene. 
     EXAMPLE III 
     Determination of nucleotide sequences of the 2.6 kbp segment of VZV DNA. 
     The complete nucleotide sequence of the VZV HindIII-D DNA segment contains several large open reading frames. One of these open reading frames is 2.6 kbp in length, encodes a 100 KD protein, and contains the segment described in Example II which encodes VZV gB antigens. The nucleotide sequence for the complete 2.6 kbp segment which encodes the gB glycoprotein is given below: 
     
         __________________________________________________________________________                           ATG TTT GTT ACG GCG GTTGTG TCG GTC TCT CCA AGC TCG TTT TAT GAG AGT TTA CAA GTAGAG CCC ACA CAA TCA GAA GAT ATA ACC CGG TCT GCT CAT CTGGGC GAT GGT GAT GAA ATC AGA GAA GCT ATA CAC AAG TCC CAGGAC GCC GAA ACA AAA CCC ACG TTT TAC GTC TGC CCA CCG CCAACA GGC TCC ACA ATC GTA CGA TTA GAA CCA ACT CGG ACA TGTCCG GAT TAT CAC CTT GGT AAA AAC TTT ACA GAG GGT ATT GCTGTT GTT TAT AAA GAA AAC ATT GCA GCG TAC AAG TTT AAG GCGACG GTA TAT TAC AAA GAT GTT ATC GTT AGC ACG GCG TGG GCCGGA AGT TCT TAT ACG CAA ATT ACT AAT AGA TAT GCG GAT AGGGTA CCA ATT CCC GTT TCA GAG ATC ACG GAC ACC ATT GAT AAGTTT GGC AAG TGT TCT TCT AAA GCA ACG TAC GTA CGA AAT AACCAC AAA GTT GAA GCC TTT AAT GAG GAT AAA AAT CCA CAG GATATG CCT CTA ATC GCA TCA AAA TAT AAT TCT GTG GGA TCC AAAGCA TGG CAT ACT ACC AAT GAC ACG TAC ATG GTT GCC GGA ACCCCC GGA ACA TAT AGG ACG GGC ACG TCG GTG AAT TGC ATC ATTGAG GAA GTT GAA GCC AGA TCA ATA TTC CCT TAT GAT AGT TTTGGA CTT TCC ACG GGA GAT ATA ATA TAC ATG TCC CCG TTT TTTGGC CTA CGG GAT GGT GCA TAC AGA GAA CAT TCC AAT TAT GCAATG GAT CGT TTT CAC CAG TTT GAG GGT TAT AGA CAA AGG GATCTT GAC ACT AGA GCA TTA CTG GAA CCT GCA GCG CGG AAC TTTTTA GTC ACG CCT CAT TTA ACG GTT GGT TGG AAC TGG AAG CCAAAA CGA ACG GAA GTT TGT TCG CTT GTC AAG TGG CGT GAG GTTGAA GAC GTA GTT CGC GAT GAG TAT GCA CAC AAT TTT CGC TTTACA ATG AAA ACA CTT TCT ACC ACG TTT ATA AGT GAA ACA AACGAG TTT AAT CTT AAC CAA ATC CAT CTC AGT CAA TGT GTA AAGGAG GAA GCC CGG GCT ATT ATT AAC CGG ATC TAT ACA ACC AGATAC AAC TCA TCT CAT GTT AGA ACC GGG GAT ATC CAG ACC TACCTT GCC AGA GGG GGG TTT GTT GTG GTG TTT CAA CCC CTG CTGAGC AAT TCC CTC GCC CGT CTC TAT CTC CAA GAA TTG GTC CGTGAA AAC ACT AAT CAT TCA CCA CAA AAA CAC CCG ACT CGA AATACC AGA TCC CGA CGA AGC GTG CCA GTT GAG TTG CGT GCC AATAGA ACA ATA ACA ACC ACC TCA TCG GTG GAA TTT GCT ATG CTCCAG TTT ACA TAT GAC CAC ATT CAA GAG CAT GTT AAT GAA ATGTTG GCA CGT ATC TCC TCG TCG TGG TGC CAG CTA CAA AAT CGCGAA CGC GCC CTT TGG AGC GGA CTA TTT CCA ATT AAC CCA AGTGCT TTA GCG AGC ACC ATT TTG GAT CAA CGT GTT AAA GCT CGTATT CTC GGC GAC GTT ATC TCC GTT TCT AAT TGT CCA GAA CTGGGA TCA GAT ACA CGC ATT ATA CTT CAA AAC TCT ATG AGG GTATCT GGT AGT ACT ACG CGT TGT TAT AGC CGT CCT TTA ATT TCAATA GTT AGT TTA AAT GGG TCC GGG ACG GTG GAG GGC CAG CTTGGA ACA GAT AAC GAG TTA ATT ATG TCC AGA GAT CTG TTA GAACCA TGC GTG GCT AAT CAC AAG CGA TAT TTT CTA TTT GGG CATCAC TAC GTA TAT TAT GAG GAT TAT CGT TAC GTC CGT GAA ATCGCA GTC CAT GAT GTG GGA ATG ATT AGC ACT TAC GTA GAT TTAAAC TTA ACA CTT CTT AAA GAT AGA GAG TTT ATG CCG CTG CAAGTA TAT ACA AGA GAC GAG CTG CGG GAT ACA GGA TTA CTA GACTAC AGT GAA ATT CAA CGC CGA AAT CAA ATG CAT TCG CTG CGTTTT TAT GAC ATA GAC AAG GTT GTG CAA TAT GAT AGC GGA ACGGCC ATT ATG CAG GGC ATG GCT CAG TTT TTC CAG GGA CTT GGGACC GCG GGC CAG GCC GTT GGA CAT GTG GTT CTT GGG GCC ACGGGA GCG CTG CTT TCC ACC GTA CAC GGA TTT ACC ACG TTT TTATCT AAC CCA TTT GGG GCA TTG GCC GTG GGA TTA TTG GTT TTGGCG GGA CTG GTA GCG GCC TTT TTT GCG TAC CGG TAC GTG CTTAAA CTT AAA ACA AGC CCG ATG AAG GCA TTA TAT CCA CTC ACAACC AAG GGG TTA AAA CAG TTA CCG GAA GGA ATG GAT CCC TTTGCC GAG AAA CCC AAC GCT ACT GAT ACC CCA ATA GAA GAA ATTGGC GAC TCA CAA AAC ACT GAA CCG TCG GTA AAT AGC GGG TTTGAT CCC GAT AAA TTT CGA GAA GCC CAG GAA ATG ATT AAA TATATG ACG TTA GTA TCT GCG GCT GAG CGC CAA GAA TCT AAA GCCCGC AAA AAA AAT AAG ACT AGC GCC CTT TTA ACT TCA CGT CTTACC GGC CTT GCT TTA CGA AAT CGC CGA GGA TAC TCC CGT GTTCGC ACC GAG ATT GTA ACG GGG GTG TAA.__________________________________________________________________________ 
    
     The foregoing nucleotide sequences endode the following peptide: 
     
         ______________________________________Met Phe Val Thr Ala ValVal Ser Val Ser Pro Ser Ser Phe Tyr Glu Ser Leu Gln ValGlu Pro Thr Gln Ser Glu Asp Ile Thr Arg Ser Ala His LeuGly Asp Gly Asp Glu Ile Arg Glu Ala Ile His Lys Ser GlnAsp Ala Glu Thr Lys Pro Thr Phe Tyr Val Cys Pro Pro ProThr Gly Ser Thr Ile Val Arg Leu Glu Pro Thr Arg Thr CysPro Asp Tyr His Leu Gly Lys Asn Phe Thr Glu Gly Ile AlaVal Val Tyr Lys Glu Asn Ile Ala Ala Tyr Lys Phe Lys AlaThr Val Tyr Tyr Lys Asp Val Ile Val Ser Thr Ala Trp AlaGly Ser Ser Tyr Thr Gln Ile Thr Asn Arg Tyr Ala Asp ArgVal Pro Ile Pro Val Ser Glu Ile Thr Asp Thr Ile Asp LysPhe Gly Lys Cys Ser Ser Lys Ala Thr Tyr Val Arg Asn AsnHis Lys Val Glu Ala Phe Asn Glu Asp Lys Asn Pro Gln AspMet Pro Leu Ile Ala Ser Lys Tyr Asn Ser Val Gly Ser LysAla Trp His Thr Thr Asn Asp Thr Tyr Met Val Ala Gly ThrPro Gly Thr Tyr Arg Thr Gly Thr Ser Val Asn Cys Ile IleGlu Glu Val Glu Ala Arg Ser Ile Phe Pro Tyr Asp Ser PheGly Leu Ser Thr Gly Asp Ile Ile Tyr Met Ser Pro Phe PheGly Leu Arg Asp Gly Ala Tyr Arg Glu His Ser Asn Tyr AlaMet Asp Arg Phe His Gln Phe Glu Gly Tyr Arg Gln Arg AspLeu Asp Thr Arg Ala Leu Leu Glu Pro Ala Ala Arg Asn PheLeu Val Thr Pro His Leu Thr Val Gly Trp Asn Trp Lys ProLys Arg Thr Glu Val Cys Ser Leu Val Lys Trp Arg Glu ValGlu Asp Val Val Arg Asp Glu Tyr Ala His Asn Phe Arg PheThr Met Lys Thr Leu Ser Thr Thr Phe Ile Ser Glu Thr AsnGlu Phe Asn Leu Asn Gln Ile His Leu Ser Gln Cys Val LysGlu Glu Ala Arg Ala Ile Ile Asn Arg Ile Tyr Thr Thr ArgTyr Asn Ser Ser His Val Arg Thr Gly Asp Ile Gln Thr TyrLeu Ala Arg Gly Gly Phe Val Val Val Phe Gln Pro Leu LeuSer Asn Ser Leu Ala Arg Leu Tyr Leu Gln Glu Leu Val ArgGlu Asn Thr Asn His Ser Pro Gln Lys His Pro Thr Arg AsnThr Arg Ser Arg Arg Ser Val Pro Val Glu Leu Arg Ala AsnArg Thr Ile Thr Thr Thr Ser Ser Val Glu Phe Ala Met LeuGln Phe Thr Tyr Asp His Ile Gln Glu His Val Asn Glu MetLeu Ala Arg Ile Ser Ser Ser Trp Cys Gln Leu Gln Asn ArgGlu Arg Ala Leu Trp Ser Gly Leu Phe Pro Ile Asn Pro SerAla Leu Ala Ser Thr Ile Leu Asp Gln Arg Val Lys Ala ArgIle Leu Gly Asp Val Ile Ser Val Ser Asn Cys Pro Glu LeuGly Ser Asp Thr Arg Ile Ile Leu Gln Asn Ser Met Arg ValSer Gly Ser Thr Thr Arg Cys Tyr Ser Arg Pro Leu Ile SerIle Val Ser Leu Asn Gly Ser Gly Thr Val Glu Gly Gln LeuGly Thr Asp Asn Glu Leu Ile Met Ser Arg Asp Leu Leu GluPro Cys Val Ala Asn His Lys Arg Tyr Phe Leu Phe Gly HisHis Tyr Val Tyr Tyr Glu Asp Tyr Arg Tyr Val Arg Glu IleAla Val His Asp Val Gly Met Ile Ser Thy Tyr Val Asp LeuAsn Leu Thr Leu Leu Lys Asp Arg Glu Phe Met Pro Leu GlnVal Tyr Thr Arg Asp Glu Leu Arg Asp Thr Gly leu Leu AspTyr Ser Glu Ile Gln Arg Arg Asn Gln Met His Ser Leu ArgPhe Tyr Asp Ile Asp Lys Val Val Gln Tyr Asp Ser Gly ThrAla Ile Met Gln Gly Met Ala Gln Phe Phe Gln Gly Leu GlyThr Ala Gly Gln Ala Val Gly His Val Val Leu Gly Ala ThrGly Ala Leu Leu Ser Thr Val His Gly Phe Thr Thr Phe LeuSer Asn Pro Phe Gly Ala Leu Ala Val Gly Leu Leu Val LeuAla Gly Leu Val Ala Ala Phe Phe Ala Tyr Arg Tyr Val LeuLys Leu Lys Thr Ser Pro Met Lys Ala Leu Tyr Pro Leu ThrThr Lys Gly Leu Lys Gln Leu Pro Glu Gly Met Asp Pro PheAla Glu Lys Pro Asn Ala Thr Asp Thr Pro Ile Glu Glu IleGly Asp Ser Gln Asn Thr Glu Pro Ser Val Asn Ser Gly PheAsp Pro Asp Lys Phe Arg Glu Ala Gln Glu Met Ile Lys TyrMet Thr Leu Val Ser Ala Ala Glu Arg Gln Glu Ser Lys AlaArg Lys Lys Asn Lys Thr Ser Ala Leu Leu Thr Ser Arg LeuThr Gly Leu Ala Leu Arg Asn Arg Arg Gly Tyr Ser Arg ValArg Thr Glu Asn Val Thr Gly Val.______________________________________ 
    
     EXAMPLE IV 
     Purification of VZV gB Glycoprotein 
     Ascites fluids, carrying monoclonal antibody B1 (described in Keller et al., J. Virology 52: 293, 1984), were harvested from mice. An equal volume of 0.15M NaCl was added. Then, a saturated (NH 4 ) 2  SO 4  solution was added in an equal total volume and held at 4° C. overnight. This mixture was centrifuged at 10° and 2000 rpm. The pellet was resuspended in distilled H 2  O (2 mg/ml) and dialyzed overnight against coupling buffer (0.1M NaHCO 3 , 0.5M NaCl, pH 8.4). One gram of cyanogen bromide-activated Sepharose 4B (Pharmacia, Piscataway, N.J.) was swollen in 0.001N HCl then decanted into a 60 ml coarse sintered glass funnel. This was washed with 200 ml 0.001N HCl, then 50 ml coupling buffer. The Sepharose was then mixed with 10 ml of monoclonal antibody solution and rotated for 2 hours at 23° C. Then, 80 μl ethanolamine was added and the solution was rotated for  1 hour at 23° C. The resin was poured into a disposable chromatography column (BioRad), drained and washed successively with 10 ml volumes of the following solutions: (1) coupling buffer; (2) 0.1M Na 2  HPO 4  ; 0.5M NaCl, pH 8.2; (3) 0.1M NaOAc, 0.5M NaCl, pH 4.0; (4) 0.1M NaHBO 4 , pH 8.2; (5) 3M KSCN; (6) 0.1M NaHBO 4 , pH 8.2; then stored in 0.1M NaHBO 4 , pH 8.2 at 4° C. prior to use. 
     VZV glycoproteins were purified from MRC-5 human diploid fibroblasts which were infected with VZV to the extent of 80% cytopathic effect. Cells in 750 cm 2  roller bottles were washed twice with 0.15M NaCl, 0.01M Na 2  HPO 4 , pH 7.2 and drained well. Ten ml of 50 mM Tris, pH 7.5, 2% Triton X-100, 4 mM phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride (PMSF) were incubated 15° to the bottle while rolling. The same 10 ml then was used to successively extract 9 more roller bottles. A fresh 10 ml aliquot of buffer was used to successively rinse the 10 roller bottles and pooled with the first aliquot, such that 20 ml of extract represent material from 10 roller bottles. Extracts were stored at -70° C. until use. 
     Extracts were thawed and dialyzed overnight at 4° C. against 0.15M NaCl, 0.01M Na 2  HPO 4 , 0.05% Triton X-100, pH 7.2, then clarified by centrifuging at 1500 rpm for 15 minutes at 4° C. 20 ml of extract were added to 1 g of monoclonal antibody-coupled resin and incubated overnight at 4° C. with shaking. The slurry was centrifuged for 15 minutes at 1500 rpm at 4° C. and washed three times with 0.1M NaHBO 4 , pH 8.2. The glycoprotein was eluted by incubation at 23° C. with 10 ml 3M KSCN. The eluate was immediately dialyzed against 0.15M NaCl, 0.01M Na 2  HPO 4 , 0.05% Triton X-100, pH 7.2 overnight at 4° C. and concentrated to approximately 1 mg/ml. 
     Of the immune-affinity purified gB, approximately 500 μg was loaded into the sample loop of a LCC (Liquid Chromatography Controller) 500 FPLC (Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography) (Pharmacia). The sample then was injected onto a Mono Q anion exchange column (Pharmacia) followed by a 5 ml wash with 20 mM Tris, pH 7.7, 20 mM CHAPS (Sigma). A gradient of 0-1M NaCl in 20 mM Tris, pH 7.5, 20 mM CHAPS was run over the column, and individual fractions were collected. At approximately 0.3M NaCl, there was eluted a single major homogeneous peak which was concentrated in a Centricon concentrator (Amicon) to a volume of 50 μl in 10 mM Tris, pH 7.5, 10 mM NaCl, 0.05% Triton X-100. This peak was verified as VZV gB by the following criteria. In silver strains of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) run under reducing conditions, the sample was resolved as two proteins of molecular weights 62,000 and 53,000 daltons, as described in Keller et al., ibid., i.e., gp62, gp57; Okuno et al., Virology 129: 357 (1983), i.e., gp5; Grose et al., Virology 132: 138 (1984), i.e., gp66, &#34;disulfide-linked dimer&#34;; Inghani et al., J. Virology, 52: 55 (1984), i.e., 64K-65K. In silver strains of SDS PAGE run under non-reducing conditions, the sample was resolved as a single protein of molecular weight 115,000, as described in Grose et al. ibid., i.e., gp 140, Vafai et al., J. Virology 52: 953 (1984), i.e., gp 130. 
     EXAMPLE V 
     Purified VZV gB polypeptide induces antibodies which neutralize VZV infectivity in vitro 
     Guinea pigs were inoculated intramuscularly with 20 micrograms in complete Freund&#39;s adjuvant of VZV gB (purified by immune-affinity chromatography as described above in Example IV), followed one month later by two inoculations each of ten micrograms of VZV gB in incomplete Freund&#39;s adjuvant spaced two weeks apart. Sera were obtained from the guinea pigs after these three inoculations. Each of the guinea pig sera were utilized in an in vitro VZV neutralization assay as described (Keller et al., ibid.). By this assay the post-immunization but not the pre-immunization sera elicited VZV neutralizing antibodies. 
     EXAMPLE VI 
     Amino acid analysis of purified VZV gB polypeptide 
     300 μg of VZV gB (purified as described in Example IV) was subjected to amino terminal sequence analysis using an applied Biosystems Gas-Phase Sequenator [Hewick et al., J. Biol. Chem. 256: 7790 (1981)]. The PTH (phenylthiohydantoin) amino acids produced at each step were separated and quantitated by high performance liquid chromatography Speiss et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S.A. 70: 2974 (1979). 
     The sequence analysis demonstrated that gB contains two distinct amino termini consistent with the analysis described above in Example IV. Each cycle of the sequenator revealed 0, 1 or 2 identifiable amino acids. In all, 11 amino acids in gB were identified. Six of these could be aligned within the sequence of amino acids 9-20 imputed from the DNA sequence in Example III above. Five of these could be aligned within the sequence of amino acids 432-443 imputed from the DNA sequence in Example III above. Since the imputed amino acid sequence contains 868 amino acids, these sequence data of the purified VZV gB are consistent with a cleavage event that partitions the protein to two polypeptides, each approximately containing 430 amino acids. This is consistant with the closely familar molecular weights of the two reduced species of VZV gB, i.e., gp62 and gp57. 
     
         __________________________________________________________________________FIG. 1Amine acid sequence analysis of purified VZV gB__________________________________________________________________________1 valser   pro ser          ser             phe tyr                    glu                       ser leu                              gln                                 val2 -- -- pro -- -- phe tyr                    -- --  leu                              gln                                 val  -- -- pro val          -- leu -- ala                       --  -- -- ile3 serval   pro val          glu             leu arg                    ala                       asn arg                              thr                                 ile__________________________________________________________________________ 1 = imputed amino acids 9-20 from Example III 2 = amino acid sequence of purified VZV gB wherein a dash (--) means that no amino acid was resolved at that position 3 = imputed amino acids 432-443 from Example III