INFLUENZA VIRUS REASSORTMENT

Abstract

New influenza donor strains for the production of reassortant influenza A viruses are provided.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] This invention is in the field of influenza A virus reassortment. Furthermore, it relates to manufacturing vaccines for protecting against influenza A viruses.

BACKGROUND ART

[0003] The most efficient protection against influenza infection is vaccination against circulating strains and it is important to produce influenza viruses for vaccine production as quickly as possible.

[0004] Wild-type influenza viruses often grow to low titres in eggs and cell culture. In order to obtain a better-growing virus strain for vaccine production it is currently common practice to reassort the circulating vaccine strain with a faster-growing high-yield donor strain. This can be achieved by co-infecting a culture host with the circidating influenza strain (the vaccine strain) and the high-yield donor strain and selecting for reassortant viruses which contain the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) segments from the vaccine strain and the other viral segments (i.e. those encoding PB1, PB2, PA, NP, M.sub.1, M.sub.2, NS.sub.1 and NS.sub.2) from the donor strain. Another approach is to reassort the influenza viruses by reverse genetics (see, for example references 1 and 2).

[0005] Reference 3 reports that a reassortant influenza virus containing a PB1 gene segment from A/Texas/1/77, the HA and NA segments from A/New Caledonia/20/99, a modified PA segment derived from A/Puerto Rico/8/34 and the remaining viral segments from A/Puerto Rico/8/34 shows increased growth in cells.

[0006] There are currently only a limited number of donor strains for reassorting influenza viruses for vaccine manufacture, and the strain most commonly used is the A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (A/PR/8/34) strain. However, reassortant influenza viruses comprising A/PR/8/34 backbone segments do not always grow sufficiently well to ensure efficient vaccine manufacture. Thus, there is a need in the art to provide further and improved donor strains for influenza virus reassortment.

SUMMARY OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] The inventors have now surprisingly discovered that influenza viruses which comprise backbone segments from two or more influenza donor strains can grow faster in a culture host (particularly in cell culture) compared with reassortant influenza A viruses which contain all backbone segments from the same donor strain. In particular, the inventors have found that influenza viruses which comprise backbone segments derived from two different high-yield donor strains can produce higher yield reassortants with target vaccine-relevant HA/NA genes than reassortants made with either of the two original donor strains alone.

[0008] Reassortant influenza A viruses with backbone segments from two or more influenza donor strains may comprise the HA segment and the PB1 segment from different influenza A strains. In these reassortant influenza viruses the PB1 segment is preferably from donor viruses with the same influenza virus HA subtype as the vaccine strain. For example, the PB1 segment and the HA segment may both be from influenza viruses with a H1 subtype. The reassortant influenza A viruses may also comprise the HA segment and the PB1 segment from different influenza A strains with different influenza virus HA subtypes, wherein the PB1 segment is not from an influenza virus with a H3 HA subtype and/or wherein the HA segment is not from an influenza virus with a H1 or H5 HA subtype. For example, the PB1 segment may be from a H1 virus and/or the HA segment may be from a H3 influenza virus.

[0009] The invention also provides reassortant influenza A viruses with backbone segments from two or more influenza donor strains in which the PB1 segment is from the A/California/07/09 influenza strain. This segment may have at least 95% identity or 100% identity with the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 22. The reassortant influenza A virus may have the H1 HA subtype. It will be understood that a reassortant influenza virus according to this aspect of the invention will not comprise the HA and/or NA segments from A/California/07/09.

[0010] Where the reassortant influenza A virus comprises backbone segments from two or three donor strains, each donor strain may provide more than one of the backbone segments of the reassortant influenza A virus, but one or two of the donor strains can also provide only a single backbone segment.

[0011] Where the reassortant influenza A virus comprises backbone segments from two, three, four or five donor strains, one or two of the donor strains may provide more than one of the backbone segments of the reassortant influenza A virus. In general the reassortant influenza A virus cannot comprise more than six backbone segments. Accordingly, for example, if one of the donor strains provides five of the viral segments, the reassortant influenza A virus can only comprise backbone segments from a total of two different donor strains.

[0012] Where a reassortant influenza A virus comprises the PB1 segment from A/Texas/1/77, it preferably does not comprise the PA, NP or M segment from A/Puerto Rico/8/34. Where a reassortant influenza A virus comprises the PA, NP or M segment from A/Puerto Rico/8/34, it preferably does not comprise the FBI segment from A/Texas/1/77. In some embodiments, the invention does not encompass reassortant influenza A viruses which have the PB1 segment from A/Texas/1/77 and the PA, NP and M segments from A/Puerto Rico/8/34. The PB1 segment from A/Texas/1/77 may have the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 27 and the PA, NP or M segments from A/Puerto Rico/8/34 may have the sequence of SEQ ID NOs. 28, 29 or 30, respectively.

[0013] Influenza A virus strains of the invention can grow to higher viral titres in MDCK cells and/or in eggs in the same time and under the same growth conditions compared with reassortant influenza strains that comprise all backbone segments from the same influenza donor strain.

[0014] The invention also provides a reassortant influenza A virus comprising at least one backbone viral segment from a donor strain, wherein the donor strain is the A/California/07/09 influenza strain. When the at least one backbone viral segment is the PA segment it may have a sequence having at least 95% or at least 99% identity with the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 15. When the at least one backbone viral segment is the PB1 segment, it may have a sequence having at least 95% or at least 99% identity with the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 16. When the at least one backbone viral segment is the PB2 segment, it may have a sequence having at least 95% or at least 99% identity with the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 17. When the at least one backbone viral segment is the NP segment it may have a sequence having at least 95% or at least 99% identity with the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 18. When the at least one backbone viral segment is the M segment it may have a sequence having at least 95% or at least 99% identity with the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 19. When the at least one backbone viral segment is the NS segment it may have a sequence having at least 95% or at least 99% identity with the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 20.

[0015] At least one backbone segment may be derived from the A/California/07/09 influenza strain, as discussed in the previous paragraph. Preferred reassortant influenza A viruses comprise the PB1 segment from the A/California/07/09 influenza strain. The inventors have shown that reassortant influenza A viruses comprising this backbone segment grow well in culture hosts. The reassortant influenza A viruses may comprise all other backbone segments from an influenza virus which is not A/California/07/09.

[0016] The reassortant influenza A viruses may comprise the PB1 segment from A/California/07/09 and all other backbone segments from the influenza strain PR8-X. The segments of PR8-X have the sequences of SEQ ID NO: 1 (PA), SEQ ID NO: 2 (PB1), SEQ ID NO: 3 (PB2), SEQ ID NO: 4 (NP), SEQ ID NO: 5 (M), SEQ ID NO: 6 (NS), SEQ ID NO: 7 (HA) or SEQ ID NO: 8 (NA). Thus, the influenza viruses of the invention may comprise one or more genome segments selected from: a PA segment having at least 95% or 99% identity to the sequence of SEQ TD NO: 1, a PB2 segment having at least 95% or 99% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3, a M segment having at least 95% or 99% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5, a NP segment having at least 95% or 99% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4, and/or a NS segment having at least 95% or 99% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6. The reassortant influenza A viruses may also comprise one or more viral segments which have the sequence of SEQ ID NOs.: 1, and/or 3-6. In preferred embodiments, the reassortant influenza strain comprises all of the genome segments mentioned in this paragraph. This embodiment is preferred because the inventors have found that such reassortant influenza A viruses grow particularly well in cell culture and in embryonated hens eggs.

[0017] In general a reassortant influenza virus will contain only one of each backbone segment. For example, when the influenza virus comprises the PB1 segment from A/California/07/09 it will not at the same time comprise the PB1 segment from another influenza A donor strain.

[0018] The backbone viral segments may be optimized for culture in the specific culture host. For example, where the reassortant influenza viruses are cultured in mammalian cells, it is advantageous to adapt at least one of the viral segments for optimal growth in the culture host. For example, where the expression host is a canine cell, such as a MDCK cell line, the viral segments may have a sequence which optimises viral growth in the cell. Thus, the reassortant influenza viruses of the invention may comprise a PB2 genome segment which has lysine in the position corresponding to amino acid 389 of SEQ ID NO: 3 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 3 using a pairwise alignment algorithm, and/or asparagine in the position corresponding to amino acid 559 of SEQ ID NO: 3 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 3 using a pairwise alignment algorithm. Also provided are reassortant influenza viruses in accordance with the invention in which the PA genome segment has lysine in the position corresponding to amino acid 327 of SEQ ID NO: 1 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 1 using a pairwise alignment algorithm, and/or aspartic acid in the position corresponding to amino acid 444 of SEQ ID NO: 1 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 1, using a pairwise alignment algorithm, and/or aspartic acid in the position corresponding to amino acid 675 of SEQ ID NO: 1 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 1, using a pairwise alignment algorithm. The reassortant influenza strains of the invention may also have a NP genome segment with threonine in the position corresponding to amino acid 27 of SEQ ID NO: 4 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 4 using a pairwise alignment algorithm, and/or asparagine in the position corresponding to amino acid 375 of SEQ ID NO: 4 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 4, using a pairwise alignment algorithm. Variant influenza strains may also comprise two or more of these mutations. It is preferred that the variant influenza virus contains a variant PB2 segment with both of the amino acids changes identified above, and/or a PA which contains all three of the amino acid changes identified above, and/or a NP segment which contains both of the amino acid changes identified above. The influenza A virus may be a H1 strain.

[0019] Alternatively, or in addition, the reassortants influenza viruses may comprise a PB1 segment which has isoleucine in the position corresponding to amino acid 200 of SEQ ID NO: 2 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 2 using a pairwise alignment algorithm, and/or asparagine in the position corresponding to amino acid 338 of SEQ ID NO: 2 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 2 using a pairwise alignment algorithm, and/or isoleucine in the position corresponding to amino acid 529 of SEQ ID NO: 2 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 2 using a pairwise alignment algorithm, and/or isoleucine in the position corresponding to amino acid 591 of SEQ TD NO: 2 when aligned to SEQ TD NO: 2 using a pairwise alignment algorithm, and/or histidine in the position corresponding to amino acid 687 of SEQ ID NO: 2 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 2 using a pairwise alignment algorithm, and/or lysine in the position corresponding to amino acid 754 of SEQ ID NO: 2 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 2 using a pairwise alignment algorithm.

[0020] The preferred pairwise alignment algorithm is the Needleman-Wunsch global alignment algorithm [4], using default parameters (e.g. with Gap opening penalty=10.0, and with Gap extension penalty=0.5, using the EBLOSUM62 scoring matrix). This algorithm is conveniently implemented in the needle tool in the EMBOSS package [5].

[0021] The invention provides a method of preparing the reassortant influenza A viruses of the invention. These methods comprise steps of (i) introducing into a culture host one or more expression construct(s) which encode(s) the viral segments required to produce an influenza A virus wherein the backbone viral segments are from two or more influenza strains; and (ii) culturing the culture host in order to produce reassortant virus and optionally (iii) purifying the virus obtained in step (ii). In these methods, the HA and the PB1 segment may be from different influenza strains which have the same influenza HA subtype or the HA and PB1 segments may be from different influenza strains with different HA subtypes provided that the PB1 segment is not from an influenza virus with a H3 HA subtype and/or the HA segment is not from an influenza virus with a H1 or H5 HA subtype. The PB1 backbone viral segment may be from A/California/07/09. The one or more expression constructs may further encode one or more of the PB2, PA, NP, M, or NS segments from PR8-X or segments having at least 90% or 100% identity to SEQ ID NOs.: 9, and/or 11 to 14. The expression construct(s) may not encode the HA and/or NA segments from A/Cali for nia/07/09 when the PB1 segment is from A/California/07/09.

[0022] The at least one expression construct may comprise a sequence having at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 99% or 100% identity with the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 22.

[0023] In some embodiments, the at least one expression construct does not encode the PB1 segment from the A/Texas/1/77 influenza strain.

[0024] The methods may further comprise steps of: (iv) infecting a culture host with the virus obtained in step (ii) or step (iii); (v) culturing the culture host from step (iv) to produce further virus; and optionally (vi) purifying the virus obtained in step (v).

[0025] The invention also provides a method for producing influenza viruses comprising steps of (a) infecting a culture host with a reassortant virus of the invention; (b) culturing the host from step (a) to produce the virus; and optionally (c) purifying the virus obtained in step (b).

[0026] The invention also provides a method of preparing a vaccine, comprising steps of (d) preparing a virus by the methods of any one of the embodiments described above and (e) preparing vaccine from the virus.

[0027] The invention provides an expression system comprising one or more expression construct(s) comprising the vRNA encoding segments of an influenza A virus wherein the expression construct(s) encode(s) the HA and PB1 segments from two different influenza strains with the same influenza HA subtype or which encodes the HA and PB1 segments from two different influenza strains with different influenza virus HA subtypes, wherein the PB1 segment is not from an influenza virus with a H3 HA subtype and/or the HA segment is not from an influenza virus with a H1 or H5 HA subtype.

[0028] The invention also provides an expression system comprising one or more expression construct(s) comprising the vRNA encoding segments of an influenza A virus wherein the expression construct(s) encode(s) the FBI segment of A/California/07/09. The expression construct(s) may further comprise the vRNAs which encode one or more of the PB2, NP, NS, M and/or PA segments from PR8-X. Thus, the expression construct(s) may comprise one or more nucleotide sequences having at least 90% identity, at least 95% identity, at least 99% identity or 100% identity with the sequences of SEQ ID Nos.: 9 and/or 11-14. It is preferred that the expression construct(s) encode(s) all of the PB2, NP, NS, M and PA segments from PR8-X.

[0029] The invention also provides a host cell comprising the expression systems of the invention. These host cells can express an influenza A virus from the expression construct(s) in the expression system.

[0030] Expression constructs which can be used in the expression systems of the invention arc also provided. For example, the invention provides an expression construct which encodes the backbone segments of the reassortant influenza strains according to the invention on the same construct.

Donor Strains

[0031] Influenza donor strains are strains which typically provide the backbone segments in a reassortant influenza virus, even though they may sometimes also provide the NA segment of the virus. Usually, however, both the HA and the NA segment in a reassortant influenza virus will be from the vaccine strain which is the influenza strain that provides the HA segment.

[0032] The inventors have surprisingly discovered that reassortant influenza A viruses which comprise the HA segment and the PB1 segment from different influenza A strains with the same HA subtype can grow much faster in culture hosts compared with reassortant influenza viruses which comprise the HA and PB1 segments from viruses with different HA subtypes. These reassortant influenza viruses preferably have backbone segments from at least two donor strains.

[0033] The PB1 segments of influenza viruses with the same HA subtype will usually have a higher level of identity than the PB1 segments of influenza viruses with different HA subtypes. For example, a Blast search using the PB1 segment of the H1 strain A/California/07/09 showed that only influenza strains with the H1 HA subtype had a high identity in the PB1 segment. Likewise, a Blast search using the PB1 segment of the H3 strain A/Wisconsin/67/2005 showed that only influenza viruses with the H3 HA subtype had a high level of identity to the PB1 segment of this virus.

[0034] The inventors have further discovered that reassortant influenza A viruses which have backbone segments from at least two donor strains and comprise the PB1 segment from A/California/07/09 grow particularly well in culture hosts. These reassortant influenza viruses preferably have backbone segments from at least two different donor strains. The reassortant influenza viruses may comprise the PB1 segment from A/California/07/09 and the HA segment of an influenza virus with the H1 subtype.

[0035] Influenza strains which contain one, two, three, four five, six or seven of the segments of the A/California/07/09 strain can also be used as donor strains.

[0036] The invention can be practised with donor strains having a viral segment that has at least about 70%, at least about 75%, at least about 80%, at least about 85%, at least about 90%, at least about 95% or at least about 99% identity to a sequence of SEQ ID Nos. 9-14 or 21-26. For example, due to the degeneracy of the genetic code, it is possible to have the same polypeptide encoded by several nucleic acids with different sequences. Thus, the invention may be practised with viral segments that encode the same polypeptides as the sequences of SEQ ID Nos. 1-8 or 15-20. For example, the nucleic acid sequences of SEQ ID Nos.: 31 and 32 have only 73% identity even though they encode the same viral protein.

[0037] The invention may also be practised with viral segments that encode polypeptides that have at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95% or at least 99% identity to the polypeptide sequences encoded by SEQ ID Nos. 9-22.

[0038] Variations in the DNA and the amino acid sequence may also stem from spontaneous mutations which can occur during passaging of the viruses. Such variant influenza strains can also be used in the invention.

Reassortant Viruses

[0039] The invention provides reassortant influenza viruses which comprise backbone segments from two or more influenza donor strains. These reassortant influenza viruses may comprise the HA segment and the PB1 segment from different influenza A strains provided that the HA and the PB1 segments arc from influenza viruses with the same influenza virus HA subtype. They may also comprise the HA segment and the PB1 segment from different influenza A strains with different influenza virus HA subtypes, provided that the PB1 segment is not from an influenza virus with a H3 HA subtype and/or the HA segment is not from an influenza virus with a H1 or H5 HA subtype.

[0040] Further provided are reassortant influenza viruses with backbone segments from two or more different donor strains which comprise the PB1 segment from A/California/07/09.

[0041] The PB1 and PB2 segments may be from the same donor strain.

[0042] Influenza viruses are segmented negative strand RNA viruses. Influenza A and B viruses have eight segments (NP, M, NS, PA, PB1, HA and NA) whereas influenza C virus has seven. The reassortant viruses of the invention contain the backbone segments from two or more donor strains, or at least one (i.e. one, two, three, four, five or six) backbone viral segment from A/California/07/09. The backbone viral segments are those which do not encode HA or NA. Thus, backbone segments will typically encode the PB1, PB2, PA, NP, M.sub.1, M.sub.2, NS.sub.1 and NS.sub.2 polypeptides of the influenza virus.

[0043] The viruses may also contain an NS segment that does not encode a functional NS protein as described, for example, in reference 6. The reassortant viruses will not typically contain the segments encoding HA and NA from the donor strains even though reassortant viruses which comprise either the HA or the NA but not both from the donor strains of the invention are also envisioned.

[0044] When the reassortant viruses are reassortants comprising the backbone segments from a single donor strain, the reassortant viruses will generally include segments from the donor strain and the vaccine strain in a ratio of 1:7, 2:6, 3:5, 4:4, 5:3, 6:2 or 7:1. Having a majority of segments from the donor strain, in particular a ratio of 6:2, is typical. When the reassortant viruses comprise backbone segments from two donor strains, the reassortant virus will generally include segments from the first donor strain, the second donor strain and the vaccine strain in a ratio of 1:1:6, 1:2:5, 1:3:4, 1:4:3, 1:5:2, 1:6:1, 2:1:5, 2:2:4, 2:3:3, 2:4:2, 2:5:1, 3:1:2, 3:2:1, 4:1:3, 4:2:2, 4:3:1, 5:1:2, 5:2:1 or 6:1:1.

[0045] Preferably, the reassortant viruses do not contain the HA segment of the donor strain as this encodes the main vaccine antigens of the influenza virus and should therefore come from the vaccine strain. The reassortant viruses of the invention therefore preferably have at least the HA segment and typically the HA and NA segments from the vaccine strain.

[0046] The invention also encompasses reassortants which comprise viral segments from more than one vaccine strain provided that the reassortant comprises a backbone according to the present invention. For example, the reassortant influenza viruses may comprise the HA segment from one donor strain and the NA segment from a different donor strain.

[0047] The reassortant viruses of the invention can grow to higher viral titres than the wild-type vaccine strain from which some of the viral segment(s) of the reassortant virus are derived in the same time (for example 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours or 72 hours) and under the same growth conditions. The viral titre can be determined by standard methods known to those of skill in the art. The reassortant viruses of the invention can achieve a viral titre which is at least 10% higher, at least 20% higher, at least 50% higher, at least 100% higher, at least 200% higher, at least 500% higher, or at least 1000% higher than the viral titre of the wild type vaccine strain in the same time frame and under the same conditions.

[0048] The invention is suitable for reassorting pandemic as well as inter-pandemic (seasonal) influenza vaccine strains. The reassortant influenza strains may contain the influenza A virus HA subtypes H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6, H7, H8, H9, H10, H11, H12, H13, H14, H15 or H16. They may contain the influenza A virus NA subtypes N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6, N7, N8 or N9. Where the vaccine strain used in the reassortant influenza viruses of the invention is a seasonal influenza strain, the vaccine strain may have a H1 or H3 subtype. In one aspect of the invention the vaccine strain is a H1N1 or H3N2 strain. The reassortants influenza strains may also contain the HA segment of an influenza B strain.

[0049] The vaccine strains for use in the invention may also be pandemic strains or potentially pandemic strains. The characteristics of an influenza strain that give it the potential to cause a pandemic outbreak arc: (a) it contains a new hemagglutinin compared to the hemagglutinins in currently-circulating human strains, i.e. one that has not been evident in the human population for over a decade (e.g. H2), or has not previously been seen at all in the human population (e.g. H5, H6 or H9, that have generally been found only in bird populations), such that the human population will be immunologically naive to the strain's hemagglutinin; (b) it is capable of being transmitted horizontally in the human population; and (c) it is pathogenic to humans. A vaccine strain with a H5 hemagglutinin type is preferred where the reassortant virus is used in vaccines for immunizing against pandemic influenza, such as a H5N1 strain. Other possible strains include H5N3, H9N2, H2N2, H7N1 and H7N7, and any other emerging potentially pandemic strains. The invention is particularly suitable for producing reassortant viruses for use in a vaccine for protecting against potential pandemic virus strains that can or have spread from a non-human animal population to humans, for example a swine-origin H1N1 influenza strain.

[0050] The reassortant influenza strain of the invention may comprise the HA segment and/or the NA segment from an A/California/4/09 strain.

[0051] Strains which can be used as vaccine strains include strains which are resistant to antiviral therapy (e.g. resistant to oseltamivir [7] and/or zanamivir), including resistant pandemic strains [8].

[0052] Reassortant viruses which contain an NS segment that does not encode a functional NS protein are also within the scope of the present invention. NS1 knockout mutants are described in reference 6. These NS 1-mutant virus strains are particularly suitable for preparing live attenuated influenza vaccines.

[0053] The `second influenza strain` used in the methods of the invention is different to the donor strain which is used.

Reverse Genetics

[0054] The invention is particularly suitable for producing the reassortant influenza virus strains of the invention through reverse genetics techniques. In these techniques, the viruses are produced in culture hosts using an expression system.

[0055] In one aspect, the expression system may encode the HA and PB1 segment from different influenza strains with the same HA subtype. It may also encode the HA and PB1 segments from different influenza strains with different HA subtypes provided that the PB1 segment is not from an influenza virus with a H3 HA subtype and/or the HA segment is not from an influenza virus with a H1 or H5 HA subtype. The expression system may encode the PB1 segment from A/California/07/09. In these embodiments, the system may encode at least one of the segments NP, M, NS, PA, and/or PB2 from another influenza donor strain, for example PR8-X.

[0056] Reverse genetics for influenza A and B viruses can be practised with 12 plasmids to express the four proteins required to initiate replication and transcription (PB1, PB2, PA and nucleoprotein) and all eight viral genome segments. To reduce the number of constructs, however, a plurality of RNA polymerase I transcription cassettes (for viral RNA synthesis) can be included on a single plasmid (e.g. sequences encoding 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or all 8 influenza vRNA segments), and a plurality of protein-coding regions with RNA polymerase II promoters on another plasmid (e.g. sequences encoding 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 influenza mRNA transcripts) [9]. It is also possible to include one or more influenza vRNA segments under control of a pol I promoter and one or more influenza protein coding regions under control of another promoter, in particular a pol II promoter, on the same plasmid. This is preferably done by using bi-directional plasmids.

[0057] Preferred aspects of the reference 9 method involve: (a) PB1, PB2 and PA mRNA-encoding regions on a single expression construct; and (b) all 8 vRNA encoding segments on a single expression construct. Including the neuraminidase (NA) and hemagglutinin (HA) segments on one expression construct and the six other viral segments on another expression construct is particularly preferred as newly emerging influenza virus strains usually have mutations in the NA and/or HA segments. Therefore, the advantage of having the HA and/or NA segments on a separate expression construct is that only the vector comprising the HA and NA sequence needs to be replaced. Thus, in one aspect of the invention the NA and/or HA segments of the vaccine strain may be included on one expression construct and the vRNA encoding segments from the donor strain(s) of the invention, excluding the HA and/or NA segment(s), are included on a different expression construct. The invention thus provides an expression construct comprising one, two, three, four, five or six vRNA encoding backbone viral segments of a donor strain of the invention. The expression construct may not comprise HA and/or NA viral segments that produce a functional HA and/or NA protein.

[0058] Known reverse genetics systems involve expressing DNA molecules which encode desired viral RNA (vRNA) molecules from poI 1 promoters, bacterial RNA polymerase promoters, bacteriophage polymerase promoters, etc. As influenza viruses require the presence of viral polymerase to initiate the life cycle, systems may also provide these proteins e.g. the system further comprises DNA molecules that encode viral polymerase proteins such that expression of both types of DNA leads to assembly of a complete infectious virus. It is also possible to supply the viral polymerase as a protein.

[0059] Where reverse genetics is used for the expression of influenza vRNA, it will be evident to the person skilled in the art that precise spacing of the sequence elements with reference to each other is important for the polymerase to initiate replication. It is therefore important that the DNA molecule encoding the viral RNA is positioned correctly between the poI 1 promoter and the termination sequence, but this positioning is well within the capabilities of those who work with reverse genetics systems.

[0060] In order to produce a recombinant virus, a cell must express all segments of the viral genome which are necessary to assemble a virion. DNA cloned into the expression constructs of the present invention preferably provides all of the viral RNA and proteins, but it is also possible to use a helper virus to provide some of the RNA and proteins, although systems which do not use a helper virus are preferred. As the influenza virus is a segmented virus, the viral genome will usually be expressed using more than one expression construct in the methods of the invention. It is also envisioned, however, to combine one or more segments or even all segments of the viral genome on a single expression construct.

[0061] In some embodiments an expression construct will also be included which leads to expression of an accessory protein in the host cell. For instance, it can be advantageous to express a non-viral serine protease (e.g. trypsin) as part of a reverse genetics system.

Expression Constructs

[0062] Expression constructs used in the expression systems of the invention may be uni-directional or bi-directional expression constructs. Where more than one transgene is used in the methods (whether on the same or different expression constructs) it is possible to use uni-directional and/or bi-directional expression.

[0063] As influenza viruses require a protein for infectivity, it is generally preferred to use bi-directional expression constructs as this reduces the total number of expression constructs required by the host cell. Thus, the method of the invention may utilise at least one bi-directional expression construct wherein a gene or cDNA is located between an upstream pol II promoter and a downstream non-endogenous pol I promoter. Transcription of the gene or cDNA from the pol II promoter produces capped positive-sense viral mRNA which can be translated into a protein, while transcription from the non-endogenous pol I promoter produces negative-sense vRNA. The bi-directional expression construct may be a bi-directional expression vector.

[0064] Bi-directional expression constructs contain at least two promoters which drive expression in different directions (i.e. both 5' to 3' and 3' to 5') from the same construct. The two promoters can be operably linked to different strands of the same double stranded DNA. Preferably, one of the promoters is a pol I promoter and at least one of the other promoters is a pol II promoter. This is useful as the pol I promoter can be used to express uncapped vRNAs while the pol II promoter can be used to transcribe mRNAs which can subsequently be translated into proteins, thus allowing simultaneous expression of RNA and protein from the same construct. Where more than one expression construct is used within an expression system, the promoters may be a mixture of endogenous and non-endogenous promoters.

[0065] The pol I and pol II promoters used in the expression constructs may be endogenous to an organism from the same taxonomic order from which the host cell is derived. Alternatively, the promoters can be derived from an organism in a different taxonomic order than the host cell. The term "order" refers to conventional taxonomic ranking, and examples of orders are primates, rodentia, carnivora, marsupialia, cetacean, etc. Humans and chimpanzees are in the same taxonomic order (primates), but humans and dogs are in different orders (primates vs. carnivora). For example, the human pol I promoter can be used to express viral segments in canine cells (e.g. MDCK cells) [10].

[0066] The expression construct will typically include an RNA transcription termination sequence. The termination sequence may be an endogenous termination sequence or a termination sequence which is not endogenous to the host cell. Suitable termination sequences will be evident to those of skill in the art and include, but are not limited to, RNA polymerase I transcription termination sequence, RNA polymerase II transcription termination sequence, and ribozymes. Furthermore, the expression constructs may contain one or more polyadenylation signals for mRNAs, particularly at the end of a gene whose expression is controlled by a pol II promoter.

[0067] An expression system may contain at least two, at least three, at least four, at least five, at least six, at least seven, at least eight, at least nine, at least ten, at least eleven or at least twelve expression constructs.

[0068] An expression construct may be a vector, such as a plasmid or other episomal construct. Such vectors will typically comprise at least one bacterial and/or eukaryotic origin of replication. Furthermore, the vector may comprise a selectable marker which allows for selection in prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic cells. Examples of such selectable markers are genes conferring resistance to antibiotics, such as ampicillin or kanamycin. The vector may further comprise one or more multiple cloning sites to facilitate cloning of a DNA sequence.

[0069] As an alternative, an expression construct may be a linear expression construct. Such linear expression constructs will typically not contain any amplification and/or selection sequences. However, linear constructs comprising such amplification and/or selection sequences are also within the scope of the present invention. Reference 11 describes a linear expression construct which describes individual linear expression constructs for each viral segment. It is also possible to include more than one, for example two, three four, five or six viral segments on the same linear expression construct. Such a system has been described, for example, in reference 12.

[0070] Expression constructs can be generated using methods known in the art. Such methods were described, for example, in reference 13. Where the expression construct is a linear expression construct, it is possible to linearise it before introduction into the host cell utilising a single restriction enzyme site. Alternatively, it is possible to excise the expression construct from a vector using at least two restriction enzyme sites. Furthermore, it is also possible to obtain a linear expression construct by amplifying it using a nucleic acid amplification technique (e.g. by PCR).

[0071] The expression constructs used in the systems of the invention may be non-bacterial expression constructs. This means that the construct can drive expression in a eukaryotic cell of viral RNA segments encoded therein, but it does not include components which would be required for propagation of the construct in bacteria. Thus the construct will not include a bacterial origin of replication (ori), and usually will not include a bacterial selection marker (e.g. an antibiotic resistance marker). Such expression constructs are described in reference 14 which is incorporated by reference.

[0072] The expression constructs may be prepared by chemical synthesis. The expression constructs may either be prepared entirely by chemical synthesis or in part. Suitable methods for preparing expression constructs by chemical synthesis are described, for example, in reference 14 which is incorporated by reference.

[0073] The expression constructs of the invention can be introduced into host cells using any technique known to those of skill in the art. For example, expression constructs of the invention can be introduced into host cells by employing electroporation, DEAE-dextran, calcium phosphate precipitation, liposomes, microinjection, or microparticle-bombardment.

Cells

[0074] The culture host for use in the present invention can be any eukaryotic cell that can produce the virus of interest. The invention will typically use a cell line although, for example, primary cells may be used as an alternative. The cell will typically be mammalian or avian. Suitable mammalian cells include, but are not limited to, hamster, cattle, primate (including humans and monkeys) and dog cells. Various cell types may be used, such as kidney cells, fibroblasts, retinal cells, lung cells, etc. Examples of suitable hamster cells are the cell lines having the names BHK21 or HKCC. Suitable monkey cells are e.g. African green monkey cells, such as kidney cells as in the Vero cell line [15-17]. Suitable dog cells are e.g. kidney cells, as in the CLDK and MDCK cell lines.

[0075] Further suitable cells include, but are not limited to: CHO; 293T; BHK; MRC 5; PER.C6 [18]; FRhL2; WI-38; etc. Suitable cells are widely available e.g. from the American Type Cell Culture (ATCC) collection [19], from the Coriell Cell Repositories [20], or from the European Collection of Cell Cultures (ECACC). For example, the ATCC supplies various different Vero cells under catalogue numbers CCL 81, CCL 81.2, CRL 1586 and CRE-1587, and it supplies MDCK cells under catalogue number CCL 34. PER.C6 is available from the ECACC under deposit number 96022940.

[0076] Preferred cells for use in the invention are MDCK cells [21-23], derived from Madin Darby canine kidney. The original MDCK cells are available from the ATCC as CCL 34. It is preferred that derivatives of MDCK cells are used. Such derivatives were described, for instance, in reference 21 which discloses MDCK cells that were adapted for growth in suspension culture (`MDCK 33016` or `33016-PF`, deposited as DSM ACC 2219; see also ref. 21). Furthermore, reference 24 discloses MDCK-derived cells that grow in suspension in serum free culture (`B-702`, deposited as FERM BP-7449). In some embodiments, the MDCK cell line used may be tumorigenic. It is also envisioned to use non-tumorigenic MDCK cells. For example, reference 25 discloses non tumorigenic MDCK cells, including `MDCK-S` (ATCC PTA-6500), `MDCK-SF101` (ATCC PTA-6501), `MDCK-SF102` (ATCC PTA-6502) and `MDCK-SF103` (ATCC PTA-6503). Reference 26 discloses MDCK cells with high susceptibility to infection, including `MDCK.5F1` cells (ATCC CRL 12042).

[0077] It is possible to use a mixture of more than one cell type to practise the methods of the present invention. However, it is preferred that the methods of the invention are practised with a single cell type e.g. with monoclonal cells. Preferably, the cells used in the methods of the present invention are from a single cell line. Furthermore, the same cell line may be used for reassorting the virus and for any subsequent propagation of the virus.

[0078] Preferably, the cells are cultured in the absence of serum, to avoid a common source of contaminants. Various serum-free media for eukaryotic cell culture are known to the person skilled in the art (e.g. Iscove's medium, ultra CHO medium (BioWhittaker), EX-CELL (JRH Biosciences)). Furthermore, protein-free media may be used (e.g. PF-CHO (JRH Biosciences)). Otherwise, the cells for replication can also be cultured in the customary serum-containing media (e.g. MEM or DMEM medium with 0.5% to 10% of fetal calf serum).

[0079] The cells may be in adherent culture or in suspension.

Conventional Reassortment

[0080] Traditionally, influenza viruses are reassorted by co-infecting a culture host, usually eggs, with a donor strain and a vaccine strain. Reassortant viruses are selected by adding antibodies with specificity for the HA and/or NA proteins of the donor strain in order to select for reassortant viruses that contain the vaccine strain's HA and/or NA proteins. Over several passages of this treatment one can select for fast growing reassortant viruses containing the vaccine strain's HA and/or NA segments.

[0081] The invention is suitable for use in these methods. It can be easier to use vaccine strains with a different HA and/or NA subtype compared to the donor strain(s) as this facilitates selection for reassortant viruses. It is also possible, however, to use vaccine strains with the same HA and/or NA subtype as the donor strain(s) and in some aspects of the invention this preferred. In this case, antibodies with preferential specificity for the HA and/or NA proteins of the donor strain(s) should be available.

Virus Preparation

[0082] In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for producing influenza viruses comprising steps of (a) infecting a culture host with a reassortant virus of the invention; (b) culturing the host from step (a) to produce the virus; and optionally (c) purifying the virus produced in step (b).

[0083] The culture host may be cells or embryonated hen eggs. Where cells are used as a culture host in this aspect of the invention, it is known that cell culture conditions (e.g. temperature, cell density, pH value, etc.) are variable over a wide range subject to the cell line and the virus employed and can be adapted to the requirements of the application. The following information therefore merely represents guidelines.

[0084] As mentioned above, cells are preferably cultured in serum-free or protein-free media.

[0085] Multiplication of the cells can be conducted in accordance with methods known to those of skill in the art. For example, the cells can be cultivated in a perfusion system using ordinary support methods like centrifugation or filtration. Moreover, the cells can be multiplied according to the invention in a fed-batch system before infection. In the context of the present invention, a culture system is referred to as a fed-batch system in which the cells are initially cultured in a batch system and depletion of nutrients (or part of the nutrients) in the medium is compensated by controlled feeding of concentrated nutrients. It can be advantageous to adjust the pH value of the medium during multiplication of cells before infection to a value between pH 6.6 and pH 7.8 and especially between a value between pH 7.2 and pH 7.3. Culturing of cells preferably occurs at a temperature between 30 and 40.degree. C. When culturing the infected cells (step b), the cells are preferably cultured at a temperature of between 30.degree. C. and 36.degree. C. or between 32.degree. C. and 34.degree. C. or at 33.degree. C. This is particularly preferred, as it has been shown that incubation of infected cells in this temperature range results in production of a virus that results in improved efficacy when formulated into a vaccine [27].

[0086] Oxygen partial pressure can be adjusted during culturing before infection preferably at a value between 25% and 95% and especially at a value between 35% and 60%. The values for the oxygen partial pressure stated in the context of the invention are based on saturation of air. Infection of cells occurs at a cell density of preferably about 8-25.times.10.sup.5 cells/mL in the batch system or preferably about 5-20.times.10.sup.6 cells/mL in the perfusion system. The cells can be infected with a viral dose (MOI value, "multiplicity of infection"; corresponds to the number of virus units per cell at the time of infection) between 10.sup.-8 and 10, preferably between 0.0001 and 0.5.

[0087] Virus may be grown on cells in adherent culture or in suspension. Microcarrier cultures can be used. In some embodiments, the cells may thus be adapted for growth in suspension.

[0088] The methods according to the invention also include harvesting and isolation of viruses or the proteins generated by them. During isolation of viruses or proteins, the cells are separated from the culture medium by standard methods like separation, filtration or ultrafiltration. The viruses or the proteins are then concentrated according to methods sufficiently known to those skilled in the art, like gradient centrifugation, filtration, precipitation, chromatography, etc., and then purified. It is also preferred according to the invention that the viruses are inactivated during or after purification. Vims inactivation can occur, for example, by .beta.-propiolactone or formaldehyde at any point within the purification process.

[0089] The culture host may be eggs. The current standard method for influenza virus growth for vaccines uses embryonated SPF hen eggs, with virus being purified from the egg contents (allantoic fluid). It is also possible to passage a virus through eggs and subsequently propagate it in cell culture and vice versa.

Vaccine

[0090] The invention utilises virus produced according to the method to produce vaccines.

[0091] Vaccines (particularly for influenza virus) are generally based either on live virus or on inactivated virus. Inactivated vaccines may be based on whole virions, `split` virions, or on purified surface antigens. Antigens can also be presented in the form of virosomes. The invention can be used for manufacturing any of these types of vaccine.

[0092] Where an inactivated virus is used, the vaccine may comprise whole virion, split virion, or purified surface antigens (for influenza, including hemagglutinin and, usually, also including neuraminidase). Chemical means for inactivating a virus include treatment with an effective amount of one or more of the following agents: detergents, formaldehyde, .beta.-propiolactone, methylene blue, psoralen, carboxyfullerene (C60), binary ethylamine, acetyl ethyleneimine, or combinations thereof. Non-chemical methods of viral inactivation are known in the art, such as for example UV light or gamma irradiation.

[0093] Virions can be harvested from virus-containing fluids, e.g. allantoic fluid or cell culture supernatant, by various methods. For example, a purification process may involve zonal centrifugation using a linear sucrose gradient solution that includes detergent to disrupt the virions. Antigens may then be purified, after optional dilution, by diafiltration.

[0094] Split virions are obtained by treating purified virions with detergents (e.g. ethyl ether, polysorbate 80, deoxycholate, tri-N-butyl phosphate, Triton .times.-100, Triton N101, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, Tergitol NP9, etc.) to produce subvirion preparations, including the `Tween-ether` splitting process. Methods of splitting influenza viruses, for example are well known in the art e.g. see refs. 28-33, etc. Splitting of the virus is typically carried out by disrupting or fragmenting whole virus, whether infectious or non-infectious with a disrupting concentration of a splitting agent. The disruption results in a full or partial solubilisation of the virus proteins, altering the integrity of the virus. Preferred splitting agents are non-ionic and ionic (e.g. cationic) surfactants e.g. alkylglycosides, alkylthioglycosides, acyl sugars, sulphobetaines, betains, polyoxyethylenealkylethers, N,N-dialkyl-Glucamides, Hecameg, alkylphenoxy-polyethoxycthanols, NP9, quaternary ammonium compounds, sarcosyl, CTABs (cetyl trim ethyl ammonium bromides), tri-N-butyl phosphate, Cetavlon, myristyltrimethylammonium salts, lipofectin, lipofectamine, and DOT-MA, the octyl- or nonylphenoxy polyoxyethanols (e.g. the Triton surfactants, such as Triton .times.-100 or Triton N101), polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters (the Tween surfactants), polyoxyethylene ethers, polyoxyethlene esters, etc. One useful splitting procedure uses the consecutive effects of sodium deoxycholate and formaldehyde, and splitting can take place during initial virion purification (e.g. in a sucrose density gradient solution). Thus a splitting process can involve clarification of the virion-containing material (to remove non-virion material), concentration of the harvested virions (e.g. using an adsorption method, such as CaHPO.sub.4 adsorption), separation of whole virions from non-virion material, splitting of virions using a splitting agent in a density gradient centrifugation step (e.g. using a sucrose gradient that contains a splitting agent such as sodium deoxycholate), and then filtration (e.g. ultrafiltration) to remove undesired materials. Split virions can usefully be resuspended in sodium phosphate-buffered isotonic sodium chloride solution. Examples of split influenza vaccines are the BEGRIVAC.TM., FLUARIX.TM., FLUZONE.TM. and FLU SHIELD.TM. products.

[0095] Purified influenza virus surface antigen vaccines comprise the surface antigens hemagglutinin and, typically, also neuraminidase. Processes for preparing these proteins in purified form are well known in the art. The FLUVIRIN.TM. AGRIPPAL.TM. and INFLUVAC.TM. products are influenza subunit vaccines.

[0096] Another form of inactivated antigen is the virosome [34] (nucleic acid free viral-like liposomal particles). Virosomes can be prepared by solubilization of virus with a detergent followed by removal of the nucleocapsid and reconstitution of the membrane containing the viral glycoproteins. An alternative method for preparing virosomes involves adding viral membrane glycoproteins to excess amounts of phospholipids, to give liposomes with viral proteins in their membrane.

[0097] The methods of the invention may also be used to produce live vaccines. Such vaccines are usually prepared by purifying virions from virion-containing fluids. For example, the fluids may be clarified by centrifugation, and stabilized with buffer (e.g. containing sucrose, potassium phosphate, and monosodium glutamate). Various forms of influenza virus vaccine are currently available (e.g. see chapters 17 & 18 of reference 35). Live virus vaccines include MedImmune's FLUMIST.TM. product (trivalent live virus vaccine).

[0098] The virus may be attenuated. The virus may be temperature-sensitive. The virus may be cold-adapted. These three features are particularly useful when using live virus as an antigen.

[0099] HA is the main immunogen in current inactivated influenza vaccines, and vaccine doses are standardised by reference to HA levels, typically measured by SRID. Existing vaccines typically contain about 15 .mu.g of HA per strain, although lower doses can be used e.g. for children, or in pandemic situations, or when using an adjuvant. Fractional doses such as 1/2 (i.e. 7.5 .mu.g HA per strain), 1/4 and c have been used, as have higher doses (e.g. 3.times. or 9.times. doses [36,37]). Thus vaccines may include between 0.1 and 150 .mu.g of HA per influenza strain, preferably between 0.1 and 50 .mu.g e.g. 0.1-20 .mu.g, 0.1-15 .mu.g, 0.1-10 .mu.g, 0.1-7.5 .mu.g, 0.5-5 .mu.g, etc. Particular doses include e.g. about 45, about 30, about 15, about 10, about 7.5, about 5, about 3.8, about 3.75, about 1.9, about 1.5, etc. per strain.

[0100] For live vaccines, dosing is measured by median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID.sub.50) rather than HA content, and a TCID.sub.50 of between 10.sup.6 and 10.sup.8 (preferably between 10.sup.6.5-10.sup.7.5) per strain is typical.

[0101] Influenza strains used with the invention may have a natural HA as found in a wild-type virus, or a modified HA. For instance, it is known to modify HA to remove determinants (e.g. hyper-basic regions around the HA1/HA2 cleavage site) that cause a virus to be highly pathogenic in avian species. The use of reverse genetics facilitates such modifications.

[0102] As well as being suitable for immunizing against inter-pandemic strains, the compositions of the invention are particularly useful for immunizing against pandemic or potentially-pandemic strains. The invention is suitable for vaccinating humans as well as non-human animals.

[0103] Other strains whose antigens can usefully be included in the compositions are strains which are resistant to antiviral therapy (e.g. resistant to oseltamivir [38] and/or zanamivir), including resistant pandemic strains [39].

[0104] Compositions of the invention may include antigen(s) from one or more (e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4 or more) influenza virus strains, including influenza A virus and/or influenza B virus provided that at least one influenza strain is a reassortant influenza strain of the invention. Compositions wherein at least two, at least three or all of the antigens are from reassortant influenza strains of the invention are also envisioned. Where a vaccine includes more than one strain of influenza, the different strains are typically grown separately and are mixed after the viruses have been harvested and antigens have been prepared. Thus a process of the invention may include the step of mixing antigens from more than one influenza strain. A trivalent vaccine is typical, including antigens from two influenza A virus strains and one influenza B virus strain. A tetravalent vaccine is also useful [40], including antigens from two influenza A virus strains and two influenza B virus strains, or three influenza A virus strains and one influenza B virus strain.

Pharmaceutical Compositions

[0105] Vaccine compositions manufactured according to the invention are pharmaceutically acceptable. They usually include components in addition to the antigens e.g. they typically include one or more pharmaceutical carrier(s) and/or excipient(s). As described below, adjuvants may also be included. A thorough discussion of such components is available in reference 41.

[0106] Vaccine compositions will generally be in aqueous form. However, some vaccines may be in dry form, e.g. in the form of injectable solids or dried or polymerized preparations on a patch.

[0107] Vaccine compositions may include preservatives such as thiomersal or 2-phenoxyethanol. It is preferred, however, that the vaccine should be substantially free from (i.e. less than 5 .mu.g/ml) mercurial material e.g. thiomersal-free [32,42]. Vaccines containing no mercury are more preferred. An .alpha.-tocopherol succinate can be included as an alternative to mercurial compounds [32], Preservative-free vaccines are particularly preferred.

[0108] To control tonicity, it is preferred to include a physiological salt, such as a sodium salt. Sodium chloride (NaCl) is preferred, which may be present at between 1 and 20 mg/ml. Other salts that may be present include potassium chloride, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, disodium phosphate dehydrate, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, etc.

[0109] Vaccine compositions will generally have an osmolality of between 200 mOsm/kg and 400 mOsm/kg, preferably between 240-360 mOsm/kg, and will more preferably fall within the range of 290-310 mOsm/kg. Osmolality has previously been reported not to have an impact on pain caused by vaccination [43], but keeping osmolality in this range is nevertheless preferred.

[0110] Vaccine compositions may include one or more buffers. Typical buffers include: a phosphate buffer; a Tris buffer; a borate buffer; a succinate buffer; a histidine buffer (particularly with an aluminum hydroxide adjuvant); or a citrate buffer. Buffers will typically be included in the 5-20 mM range.

[0111] The pH of a vaccine composition will generally be between 5.0 and 8.1, and more typically between 6.0 and 8.0 e.g. 6.5 and 7.5, or between 7.0 and 7.8. A process of the invention may therefore include a step of adjusting the pH of the bulk vaccine prior to packaging.

[0112] The vaccine composition is preferably sterile. The vaccine composition is preferably non-pyrogenic e.g. containing <1 EU (endotoxin unit, a standard measure) per dose, and preferably <0.1 EU per dose. The vaccine composition is preferably gluten-free.

[0113] Vaccine compositions of the invention may include detergent e.g. a polyoxyethylene sorbitan ester surfactant (known as `Tweens`), an octoxynol (such as octoxynol-9 (Triton .times.-100) or t-octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol), a cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (`CTAB`), or sodium deoxycholate, particularly for a split or surface antigen vaccine. The detergent may be present only at trace amounts. Thus the vaccine may include less than 1 mg/ml of each of octoxynol-10 and polysorbate 80. Other residual components in trace amounts could be antibiotics (e.g. neomycin, kanamycin, polymyxin B).

[0114] A vaccine composition may include material for a single immunisation, or may include material for multiple immunisations (i.e. a `multidose` kit). The inclusion of a preservative is preferred in multidose arrangements. As an alternative (or in addition) to including a preservative in multidose compositions, the compositions may be contained in a container having an aseptic adaptor for removal of material.

[0115] Influenza vaccines are typically administered in a dosage volume of about 0.5 ml, although a half dose (i.e. about 0.25 ml) may be administered to children.

[0116] Compositions and kits are preferably stored at between 2.degree. C. and 8.degree. C. They should not be frozen. They should ideally be kept out of direct light.

Host Cell DNA

[0117] Where virus has been isolated and/or grown on a cell line, it is standard practice to minimize the amount of residual cell line DNA in the final vaccine, in order to minimize any potential oncogenic activity of the DNA.

[0118] Thus a vaccine composition prepared according to the invention preferably contains less than 10 ng (preferably less than 1 ng, and more preferably less than 100 pg) of residual host cell DNA per dose, although trace amounts of host cell DNA may be present.

[0119] It is preferred that the average length of any residual host cell DNA is less than 500 bp e.g. less than 400 bp, less than 300 bp, less than 200 bp, less than 100 bp, etc.

[0120] Contaminating DNA can be removed during vaccine preparation using standard purification procedures e.g. chromatography, etc. Removal of residual host cell DNA can be enhanced by nuclease treatment e.g. by using a DNase. A convenient method for reducing host cell DNA contamination is disclosed in references 44 & 45, involving a two-step treatment, first using a DNase (e.g. Benzonase), which may be used during viral growth, and then a cationic detergent (e.g. CTAB), which may be used during virion disruption. Treatment with an alkylating agent, such as (.beta.-propiolactone, can also be used to remove host cell DNA, and advantageously may also be used to inactivate virions [46].

Adjuvants

[0121] Compositions of the invention may advantageously include an adjuvant, which can function to enhance the immune responses (humoral and/or cellular) elicited in a subject who receives the composition. Preferred adjuvants comprise oil-in-water emulsions. Various such adjuvants are known, and they typically include at least one oil and at least one surfactant, with the oil(s) and surfactant(s) being biodegradable (metabolisable) and biocompatible. The oil droplets in the emulsion are generally less than 5 .mu.m in diameter, and ideally have a sub-micron diameter, with these small sizes being achieved with a microfluidiser to provide stable emulsions. Droplets with a size less than 220 nm are preferred as they can be subjected to filter sterilization.

[0122] The emulsion can comprise oils such as those from an animal (such as fish) or vegetable source. Sources for vegetable oils include nuts, seeds and grains. Peanut oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, and olive oil, the most commonly available, exemplify the nut oils. Jojoba oil can be used e.g. obtained from the jojoba bean. Seed oils include safflower oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower seed oil, sesame seed oil and the like. In the grain group, com oil is the most readily available, but the oil of other cereal grains such as wheat, oats, rye, rice, teff, triticale and the like may also be used. 6-10 carbon fatty acid esters of glycerol and 1,2-propanediol, while not occurring naturally in seed oils, may be prepared by hydrolysis, separation and esterification of the appropriate materials starting from the nut and seed oils. Fats and oils from mammalian milk are metabolizable and may therefore be used in the practice of this invention. The procedures for separation, purification, saponification and other means necessary for obtaining pure oils from animal sources are well known in the art. Most fish contain metabolizable oils which may be readily recovered. For example, cod liver oil, shark liver oils, and whale oil such as spermaceti exemplify several of the fish oils which may be used herein. A number of branched chain oils are synthesized biochemically in 5-carbon isoprene units and are generally referred to as terpenoids. Shark liver oil contains a branched, unsaturated terpenoids known as squalene, 2,6,10,15,19,23-hexamethyl-2,6,10,14,18,22-tetracosahexaene, which is particularly preferred herein. Squalanc, the saturated analog to squalene, is also a preferred oil. Fish oils, including squalene and squalane, are readily available from commercial sources or may be obtained by methods known in the art. Another preferred oil is .alpha.-tocopherol (see below).

[0123] Mixtures of oils can be used.

[0124] Surfactants can be classified by their `HLB` (hydrophile/lipophile balance). Preferred surfactants of the invention have a HLB of at least 10, preferably at least 15, and more preferably at least 16. The invention can be used with surfactants including, but not limited to: the polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters surfactants (commonly referred to as the Tweens), especially polysorbate 20 and polysorbate 80; copolymers of ethylene oxide (EO), propylene oxide (PO), and/or butylene oxide (BO), sold under the DOWFAX.TM. tradename, such as linear EO/PO block copolymers; octoxynols, which can vary in the number of repeating ethoxy (oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) groups, with octoxynol-9 (Triton .times.-100, or t-octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol) being of particular interest; (octylphenoxy)poly ethoxy ethanol (IGEPAL CA-630/N P-40); phospholipids such as phosphatidylcholine (lecithin); nonylphenol ethoxy lates, such as the Tergitol.TM. NP series; polyoxy ethylene fatty ethers derived from lauryl, cetyl, stearyl and oleyl alcohols (known as Brij surfactants), such as triethyleneglycol monolauryl ether (Brij 30); and sorbitan esters (commonly known as the SPANs), such as sorbitan trioleate (Span 85) and sorbitan monolaurate. Non-ionic surfactants are preferred. Preferred surfactants for including in the emulsion are Tween 80 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate), Span 85 (sorbitan trioleate), lecithin and Triton .times.-100.

[0125] Mixtures of surfactants can be used e.g. Tween 80/Span 85 mixtures. A combination of a polyoxyethylene sorbitan ester such as polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80) and an octoxynol such as t-octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (Triton .times.-100) is also suitable. Another useful combination comprises laureth 9 plus a polyoxyethylene sorbitan ester and/or an octoxynol.

[0126] Preferred amounts of surfactants (% by weight) are: polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters (such as Tween 80) 0.01 to 1%, in particular about 0.1%; octyl- or nonylphenoxy polyoxyethanols (such as Triton .times.100, or other detergents in the Triton series) 0.001 to 0.1%, in particular 0.005 to 0.02%; polyoxyethylene ethers (such as laureth 9) 0.1 to 20%, preferably 0.1 to 10% and in particular 0.1 to 1% or about 0.5%.

[0127] Where the vaccine contains a split virus, it is preferred that it contains free surfactant in the aqueous phase. This is advantageous as the free surfactant can exert a `splitting effect` on the antigen, thereby disrupting any unsplit virions and/or virion aggregates that might otherwise be present. This can improve the safety of split virus vaccines [47].

[0128] Preferred emulsions have an average droplets size of <1 .mu.m e.g. .ltoreq.750 nm, .ltoreq.500 nm, .ltoreq.400 nm, 300 nm, .ltoreq.250 nm, .ltoreq.220 nm, .ltoreq.200 nm, or smaller. These droplet sizes can conveniently be achieved by techniques such as microfluidisation.

[0129] Specific oil-in-water emulsion adjuvants useful with the invention include, but are not limited to:

[0130] A submicron emulsion of squalene, Tween 80, and Span 85. The composition of the emulsion by volume can be about 5% squalene, about 0.5% polysorbate 80 and about 0.5% Span 85. In weight terms, these ratios become 4.3% squalene, 0.5% polysorbate 80 and 0.48% Span 85. This adjuvant is known as `MF59` [48-50], as described in more detail in Chapter 10 of ref. 51 and chapter 12 of ref. 52. The MF59 emulsion advantageously includes citrate ions e.g. 10 mM sodium citrate buffer.

[0131] An emulsion comprising squalene, a tocopherol, and polysorbate 80. The emulsion may include phosphate buffered saline. These emulsions may have by volume from 2 to 10% squalene, from 2 to 10% tocopherol and from 0.3 to 3% polysorbate 80, and the weight ratio of squalene:tocopherol is preferably <1 (e.g. 0.90) as this can provide a more stable emulsion. Squalene and polysorbate 80 may be present in a volume ratio of about 5:2 or at a weight ratio of about 11:5. Thus the three components (squalene, tocopherol, polysorbate 80) may be present at a weight ratio of 1068:1186:485 or around 55:61:25. One such emulsion (`AS03`) can be made by dissolving Tween 80 in PBS to give a 2% solution, then mixing 90 ml of this solution with a mixture of (5 g of DL a tocopherol and 5 ml squalene), then microfluidising the mixture. The resulting emulsion may have submicron oil droplets e.g. with an average diameter of between 100 and 250 nm, preferably about 180 nm. The emulsion may also include a 3-de-O-acylated monophosphoryl lipid A (3d MPL). Another useful emulsion of this type may comprise, per human dose, 0.5-10 mg squalene, 0.5-11 mg tocopherol, and 0.1-4 mg polysorbate 80 [53] e.g. in the ratios discussed above.

[0132] An emulsion of squalene, a tocopherol, and a Triton detergent (e.g. Triton .times.100). The emulsion may also include a 3d-MPL (see below). The emulsion may contain a phosphate buffer.

[0133] An emulsion comprising a polysorbate (e.g. polysorbate 80), a Triton detergent (e.g. Triton .times.100) and a tocopherol (e.g. an .alpha.-tocopherol succinate). The emulsion may include these three components at a mass ratio of about 75:11:10 (e.g. 750 .mu.g/ml polysorbate 80, 110 .mu.g/ml Triton .times.100 and 100 .mu.g/ml .alpha.-tocopherol succinate), and these concentrations should include any contribution of these components from antigens. The emulsion may also include squalene. The emulsion may also include a 3d-MPL (see below). The aqueous phase may contain a phosphate buffer.

[0134] An emulsion of squalane, polysorbate 80 and poloxamer 401 ("Pluronic.TM. L121"). The emulsion can be formulated in phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.4. This emulsion is a useful delivery vehicle for muramyl dipeptides, and has been used with threonyl-MDP in the "SAF-1" adjuvant [54] (0.05-1% Thr-MDP, 5% squalane, 2.5% Pluronic L121 and 0.2% polysorbatc 80). It can also be used without the Thr-MDP, as in the "AF" adjuvant [55] (5% squalane, 1.25% Pluronic L121 and 0.2% polysorbate 80). Microfluidisation is preferred.

[0135] An emulsion comprising squalene, an aqueous solvent, a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether hydrophilic nonionic surfactant (e.g. polyoxy ethylene (12) cetostearyl ether) and a hydrophobic nonionic surfactant (e.g. a sorbitan ester or mannidc ester, such as sorbitan monoleate or `Span 80`). The emulsion is preferably thermoreversible and/or has at least 90% of the oil droplets (by volume) with a size less than 200 nm [56]. The emulsion may also include one or more of: alditol; a cryoprotective agent (e.g. a sugar, such as dodecylmaltoside and/or sucrose); and/or an alkylpolyglycoside. The emulsion may include a TLR4 agonist [57], Such emulsions may be lyophilized.

[0136] An emulsion of squalene, poloxamer 105 and Abil-Care [58]. The final concentration (weight) of these components in adjuvanted vaccines are 5% squalene, 4% poloxamer 105 (pluronic polyol) and 2% Abil-Care 85 (Bis-PEG/PPCi-16/16 PEG/PPG-16/16 dimethicone; caprylic/capric triglyceride).

[0137] An emulsion having from 0.5-50% of an oil, 0.1-10% of a phospholipid, and 0.05-5% of a non-ionic surfactant. As described in reference 59, preferred phospholipid components are phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidic acid, sphingomyelin and cardiolipin. Submicron droplet sizes are advantageous.

[0138] A submicron oil-in-water emulsion of a non-metabolisable oil (such as light mineral oil) and at least one surfactant (such as lecithin, Tween 80 or Span 80). Additives may be included, such as QuilA saponin, cholesterol, a saponin-lipophile conjugate (such as GPI-0100, described in reference 60, produced by addition of aliphatic amine to desacylsaponin via the carboxyl group of glucuronic acid), dimethyidioctadecylammonium bromide and/or N,N-dioctadecyl-N,N-bis (2-hydroxyethyl)propanediamine.

[0139] An emulsion in which a saponin (e.g. QuilA or QS21) and a sterol (e.g. a cholesterol) are associated as helical micelles [61].

[0140] An emulsion comprising a mineral oil, a non-ionic lipophilic ethoxylated fatty alcohol, and a non-ionic hydrophilic surfactant (e.g. an ethoxylated fatty alcohol and/or polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene block copolymer) [62].

[0141] An emulsion comprising a mineral oil, a non-ionic hydrophilic ethoxylated fatty alcohol, and a non-ionic lipophilic surfactant (e.g. an ethoxylated fatty alcohol and/or polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene block copolymer) [62].

[0142] In some embodiments an emulsion may be mixed with antigen extemporaneously, at the time of delivery, and thus the adjuvant and antigen may be kept separately in a packaged or distributed vaccine, ready for final formulation at the time of use. In other embodiments an emulsion is mixed with antigen during manufacture, and thus the composition is packaged in a liquid adjuvanted form. The antigen will generally be in an aqueous form, such that the vaccine is finally prepared by mixing two liquids. The volume ratio of the two liquids for mixing can vary (e.g. between 5:1 and 1:5) but is generally about 1:1. Where concentrations of components are given in the above descriptions of specific emulsions, these concentrations are typically for an undiluted composition, and the concentration after mixing with an antigen solution will thus decrease.

Packaging of Vaccine Compositions

[0143] Suitable containers for compositions of the invention (or kit components) include vials, syringes (e.g. disposable syringes), nasal sprays, etc. These containers should be sterile.

[0144] Where a composition/component is located in a vial, the vial is preferably made of a glass or plastic material. The vial is preferably sterilized before the composition is added to it. To avoid problems with latex-sensitive patients, vials are preferably sealed with a latex-free stopper, and the absence of latex in all packaging material is preferred. The vial may include a single dose of vaccine, or it may include more than one dose (a `multidose` vial) e.g. 10 doses. Preferred vials are made of colourless glass.

[0145] A vial can have a cap (e.g. a Luer lock) adapted such that a pre-filled syringe can be inserted into the cap, the contents of the syringe can be expelled into the vial (e.g. to reconstitute lyophilised material therein), and the contents of the vial can be removed back into the syringe. After removal of the syringe from the vial, a needle can then be attached and the composition can be administered to a patient. The cap is preferably located inside a seal or cover, such that the seal or cover has to be removed before the cap can be accessed. A vial may have a cap that permits aseptic removal of its contents, particularly for multidose vials.

[0146] Where a component is packaged into a syringe, the syringe may have a needle attached to it. If a needle is not attached, a separate needle may be supplied with the syringe for assembly and use. Such a needle may be sheathed. Safety needles are preferred. 1-inch 23-gauge, 1-inch 25-gauge and 5/8-inch 25-gauge needles are typical. Syringes may be provided with peel-off labels on which the lot number, influenza season and expiration date of the contents may be printed, to facilitate record keeping. The plunger in the syringe preferably has a stopper to prevent the plunger from being accidentally removed during aspiration. The syringes may have a latex rubber cap and/or plunger. Disposable syringes contain a single dose of vaccine. The syringe will generally have a tip cap to seal the tip prior to attachment of a needle, and the tip cap is preferably made of a butyl rubber. If the syringe and needle are packaged separately then the needle is preferably fitted with a butyl rubber shield. Preferred syringes are those marketed under the trade name "Tip-Lok".TM..

[0147] Containers may be marked to show a half-dose volume e.g. to facilitate delivery to children. For instance, a syringe containing a 0.5 ml dose may have a mark showing a 0.25 ml volume.

[0148] Where a glass container (e.g. a syringe or a vial) is used, then it is preferred to use a container made from a borosilicate glass rather than from a soda lime glass.

[0149] A kit or composition may be packaged (e.g. in the same box) with a leaflet including details of the vaccine e.g. instructions for administration, details of the antigens within the vaccine, etc. The instructions may also contain warnings e.g. to keep a solution of adrenaline readily available in case of anaphylactic reaction following vaccination, etc.

Methods of Treatment, and Administration of the Vaccine

[0150] The invention provides a vaccine manufactured according to the invention. These vaccine compositions are suitable for administration to human or non-human animal subjects, such as pigs or birds, and the invention provides a method of raising an immune response in a subject, comprising the step of administering a composition of the invention to the subject. The invention also provides a composition of the invention for use as a medicament, and provides the use of a composition of the invention for the manufacture of a medicament for raising an immune response in a subject.

[0151] The immune response raised by these methods and uses will generally include an antibody response, preferably a protective antibody response. Methods for assessing antibody responses, neutralising capability and protection after influenza virus vaccination are well known in the art. Human studies have shown that antibody titers against hemagglutinin of human influenza virus are correlated with protection (a serum sample hemagglutination-inhibition titer of about 30-40 gives around 50% protection from infection by a homologous virus) [63]. Antibody responses are typically measured by hemagglutination inhibition, by microneutralisation, by single radial immunodiffusion (SRID), and/or by single radial hemolysis (SRH). These assay techniques are well known in the art.

[0152] Compositions of the invention can be administered in various ways. The most preferred immunisation route is by intramuscular injection (e.g. into the arm or leg), but other available routes include subcutaneous injection, intranasal [64-66], oral [67], intradermal [68,69], transcutaneous, transdermal [70], etc.

[0153] Vaccines prepared according to the invention may be used to treat both children and adults. Influenza vaccines are currently recommended for use in pediatric and adult immunisation, from the age of 6 months. Thus a human subject may be less than 1 year old, 1-5 years old, 5-15 years old, 15-55 years old, or at least 55 years old. Preferred subjects for receiving the vaccines are the elderly (e.g. .gtoreq.50 years old, .gtoreq.60 years old, and preferably .gtoreq.65 years), the young (e.g. .ltoreq.5 years old), hospitalised subjects, healthcare workers, armed service and military personnel, pregnant women, the chronically ill, immunodeficient subjects, subjects who have taken an antiviral compound (e.g. an oseltamivir or zanamivir compound; see below) in the 7 days prior to receiving the vaccine, people with egg allergies and people travelling abroad. The vaccines are not suitable solely for these groups, however, and may be used more generally in a population. For pandemic strains, administration to all age groups is preferred.

[0154] Preferred compositions of the invention satisfy 1, 2 or 3 of the CPMP criteria for efficacy. In adults (18-60 years), these criteria are: (1) .gtoreq.70% seroprotection; (2) .gtoreq.40% seroconversion; and/or (3) a GMT increase of .gtoreq.2.5-fold. In elderly (>60 years), these criteria are: (1) .gtoreq.60% seroprotection; (2).gtoreq.30% seroconversion; and/or (3) a GMT increase of .gtoreq.2-fold. These criteria are based on open label studies with at least 50 patients.

[0155] Treatment can be by a single dose schedule or a multiple dose schedule. Multiple doses may be used in a primary immunisation schedule and/or in a booster immunisation schedule. In a multiple dose schedule the various doses may be given by the same or different routes e.g. a parenteral prime and mucosal boost, a mucosal prime and parenteral boost, etc. Administration of more than one dose (typically two doses) is particularly useful in immunologically naive patients e.g. for people who have never received an influenza vaccine before, or for vaccinating against a new HA subtype (as in a pandemic outbreak). Multiple doses will typically be administered at least 1 week apart (e.g. about 2 weeks, about 3 weeks, about 4 weeks, about 6 weeks, about 8 weeks, about 10 weeks, about 12 weeks, about 16 weeks, etc.).

[0156] Vaccines produced by the invention may be administered to patients at substantially the same time as (e.g. during the same medical consultation or visit to a healthcare professional or vaccination centre) other vaccines e.g. at substantially the same time as a measles vaccine, a mumps vaccine, a rubella vaccine, a MMR vaccine, a varicella vaccine, a MMRV vaccine, a diphtheria vaccine, a tetanus vaccine, a pertussis vaccine, a DTP vaccine, a conjugated H. influenzae type b vaccine, an inactivated poliovirus vaccine, a hepatitis B virus vaccine, a meningococcal conjugate vaccine (such as a tetravalent A-C-W135-Y vaccine), a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, etc. Administration at substantially the same time as a pneumococcal vaccine and/or a meningococcal vaccine is particularly useful in elderly patients.

[0157] Similarly, vaccines of the invention may be administered to patients at substantially the same time as (e.g. during the same medical consultation or visit to a healthcare professional) an antiviral compound, and in particular an antiviral compound active against influenza virus (e.g. oseltamivir and/or zanamivir). These antivirals include neuraminidase inhibitors, such as a (3R,4R,5S)-4-acetylamino-5-amino-3(1-ethylpropoxy)-1-cyclohexene-1-carbox- ylic acid or 5-(acetylamino)-4-[(aminoiminomethyl)-amino]-2,6-anhydro-3,4,5-trideoxy-D- -glycero-D-galactonon-2-enonic acid, including esters thereof (e.g. the ethyl esters) and salts thereof (e.g. the phosphate salts). A preferred antiviral is (3R,4R,5S)-4-acetylamino-5-amino-3(1-ethylpropoxy)-1-cyclohexene-1-carbox- ylic acid, ethyl ester, phosphate (1:1), also known as oseltamivir phosphate (TAMIFLU.TM.).

General

[0158] The term "comprising" encompasses "including" as well as "consisting" e.g. a composition "comprising" X may consist exclusively of X or may include something additional e.g. X+Y.

[0159] The word "substantially" does not exclude "completely" e.g. a composition which is "substantially free" from Y may be completely free from Y. Where necessary, the word "substantially" may be omitted from the definition of the invention.

[0160] The term "about" in relation to a numerical value x is optional and means, for example, x.+-.10%.

[0161] Unless specifically stated, a process comprising a step of mixing two or more components does not require any specific order of mixing. Thus components can be mixed in any order. Where there are three components then two components can be combined with each other, and then the combination may be combined with the third component, etc.

[0162] The various steps of the methods may be carried out at the same or different times, in the same or different geographical locations, e.g. countries, and by the same or different people or entities.

[0163] Where animal (and particularly bovine) materials are used in the culture of cells, they should be obtained from sources that are free from transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), and in particular free from bovine spongiform enceplialopathy (BSE). Overall, it is preferred to culture cells in the total absence of animal-derived materials.

[0164] Where a compound is administered to the body as part of a composition then that compound may alternatively be replaced by a suitable prodrug.

[0165] References to a percentage sequence identity between two amino acid sequences means that, when aligned, that percentage of amino acids are the same in comparing the two sequences. This alignment and the percent homology or sequence identity can be determined using software programs known in the art, for example those described in section 7.7.18 of reference 71. A preferred alignment is determined by the Smith-Waterman homology search algorithm using an affine gap search with a gap open penalty of 12 and a gap extension penalty of 2, BLOSUM matrix of 62. The Smith-Waterman homology search algorithm is taught in reference 72.

[0166] References to a percentage sequence identity between two nucleic acid sequences mean that, when aligned, that percentage of bases are the same in comparing the two sequences. This alignment and the percent homology or sequence identity can be determined using software programs known in the art, for example those described in section 7.7.18 of reference 71. A preferred alignment program is GCG Gap (Genetics Computer Group, Wisconsin, Suite Version 10.1), preferably using default parameters, which are as follows: open gap=3; extend gap=1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0167] FIG. 1(A) and FIG. 1(B) compare the HA content (determined by lectin-capture ELISA) of sucrose gradient-purified viruses harvested at 60 h post-infection from MDCK cell cultures infected with reverse genetics-derived 6:2 reassortants containing either the PR8-X or #21 backbone with the HA and NA segments from a pandemic-like H1 strain (strain 1; FIG. 1(A)) or a second pandemic-like strain (strain 2; FIG. 1(B)). In FIG. 1(A) and FIG. 1(B), the white bar represents a reference vaccine strain (derived from WHO-Collaborating Centre-supplied strain) as control, the dotted bar represents a reassortant virus containing the PR8-X backbone, and the checked bar represents a reassortant virus containing the #21 backbone. The y-axis indicates HA yield in .mu.g/ml.

[0168] FIG. 2(A) and FIG. 2(B) compare the HA content (determined by a lectin-capture ELISA) of unpurified viruses harvested at 60 h post-infection from MDCK cell cultures infected with reverse genetics-derived 6:2 reassortants containing either the PR8-X or #21 backbone with the HA and NA segments from a pre-pandemic H1 strain (strain 1; FIG. 2(A)) and a second pre-pandemic H1 strain (strain 2; FIG. 2(B)). In FIG. 2(A) and FIG. 2(B), the white bar represents a reference vaccine strain (derived from WHO-Collaborating Centre-supplied strain) as control, the dotted bar represents a reassortant virus containing the PR8-X backbone, and the checked bar represents a reassortant virus containing the #21 backbone. The y-axis indicates HA yield in .mu.g/ml.

[0169] FIG. 3 compares the HA yield (determined by HPLC) of sucrose-purified viruses harvested at 60 h post-infection from MDCK cell cultures infected with reverse genetics-derived 6:2 reassortants containing either the PR8-X or #21 backbone with the HA and NA segments from an H3 strain (strain 1). The white bar represents a reference vaccine strain (derived from WHO-Collaborating Centre-supplied strain) as control, the dotted bar represents a reassortant virus containing the PR8-X backbone, and the checked bar represents a reassortant virus containing the #21 backbone. The y-axis indicates HA yield in .mu.g/ml.

[0170] FIG. 4(A) and FIG. 4(B) compare virus titers (determined by focus formation assay (FFA); FIG. 4(A)) and HA titers (determined by lectin-capture ELISA;

[0171] FIG. 4(B)) of viruses harvested from embyronated chicken eggs at 60 h post-infection with a reference vaccine strain or reverse genetics-derived 6:2 reassortant viruses made with either the PR8-X or #21 backbone and the HA and NA segments from a pandemic-like H1 strain (strain 2). In FIG. 4(A), the individual dots represent data from single eggs. The line represents the average of the individual data points. The y-axis indicates infectious units/ml. In FIG. 4(B), the white bar represents the reference vaccine strain (derived from WHO-Collaborating Centre-supplied strain), the dotted bar represents a reassortant virus containing the PR8-X backbone, and the checked bar represents a reassortant virus containing the #21 backbone. The y-axis indicates HA yield in .mu.g/ml for pooled egg samples

[0172] FIG. 5(A) and FIG. 5(B) compare virus titers (determined by FFA; FIG. 5(A)) and HA titers (determined by lectin-capture ELISA; FIG. 5(B)) from viruses harvested at 60 h post-infection from MDCK cells infected with a reference vaccine strain or reverse genetics-derived 6:2 reassortant viruses made with either the #21 or #21C backbone and the HA and NA segments from a pandemic-like H1 strain (strain 2). In both figures, the white bar represents a reference vaccine strain (derived from WHO-Collaborating Centre-supplied strain) as control, the dotted bar represents a reassortant virus made with the #21 backbone, and the checked bar represents a reassortant virus made with a modified #21 backbone (#21C) containing two canine-adapted mutations (R389K, T559N) in the PR8-X PB2 segment that comprises the backbone. The y-axis in FIG. 5(A) and FIG. 5(B) indicates infectious units/ml and HA yield in .mu.g/ml, respectively.

[0173] FIG. 6 compares virus titers (determined by FFA) from viruses harvested at 60 h post-infection from MDCK cells infected with reverse genetics-derived 6:2 reassortant viruses made with either the PR8-X, #21 or #21C backbone and the HA and NA segments from a different pandemic-like H1 strain (strain 1). The white bar represents the PR8-X backbone, the dotted bar represents the #21 backbone, and the checked bar represents the #21C backbone containing two canine-adapted mutations (R389K, T559N) in the PR8-X PB2 segment that comprises the backbone. The y-axis indicates infectious units/ml.

[0174] FIG. 7 compares HA titers (determined by red blood cell hemagglutination assay) from viruses harvested at 60 h post-infection from embryonated chicken eggs infected with a reference vaccine strain (derived from WHO-Collaborating Centre-supplied strain) or reverse genetics-derived 6:2 reassortant viruses containing either the PR8-X or #21C backbone and the HA and NA segments from a pandemic-like H1 strain (strain 1). The individual dots represent data from a single egg. The line represents the average of the individual data points. The y-axis indicates HA units.

[0175] FIG. 8(A) and FIG. 8(B) compare infectious titers (determined by FFA) of viruses harvested at different time points post-infection of MDCK cells infected with reverse genetics-derived 6:2 reassortants made with either a PR8-X backbone or a modified PR8-X backbone containing canine-adapted polymerase mutations and the HA and NA segments from a pandemic-like H1 strain (strain 1). In FIG. 8(A), the dotted line with triangle markers indicates the PR8-X backbone and the solid line with square markers indicates a modified PR8-X backbone "PRS-X(cPA)" containing three canine-adapted mutations (E327K, N444D, and N675D) in the PR8-X PA segment. In FIG. 8(B), the dotted line with triangle markers indicates the PR8-X backbone and the solid line with open circle markers indicates a modified PR8-X backbone "PR8-X(cNP)" containing two canine-adapted mutations (A27T, E375N) in the PR8-X NP segment. In both figures, the x-axis indicates hours post-infection and the y-axis indicates infectious units/ml.

[0176] FIG. 9(A) and FIG. 9(B) compare infectious titers (determined by FFA; FIG. 9(A)) and HA titers (determined by red blood cell hemagglutination assay; FIG. 9(B)) of virus harvested at different times post-infection from MDCK cells infected with a reference vaccine strain or reverse genetics-derived 6:2 reassortant viruses made with either the PR8-X or modified PR8-X backbones containing canine-adapted mutations and the HA and NA segments from an H3 strain (strain 2). In FIG. 9(A), the dotted line with x markers indicates the reference vaccine strain (derived from WHO-Collaborating Centre-supplied strain), the dotted line with triangle markers indicates the PR8-X backbone, the solid line with square markers indicates a modified PR8-X backbone "PR8-X (cPA)" containing three canine-adapted mutations (E327K, N444D, and N675D) in the PR8-X PA segment, and the solid line with open circle markers indicates a modified PR8-X backbone "PR8-X (cNP)" containing two canine-adapted mutations a in the PR8-X NP segment. The y-axis represents infectious units/ml and the x-axis represents hours post-infection. In FIG. 9(B), the white bar indicates the reference vaccine strain (derived from WHO-Collaborating Centre-supplied strain), the dotted bar indicates the PR8-X backbone, the checked bar indicates the PRB-X(cPA) backbone and the cross-hatched bar indicates the PR8-X(cNP) backbone. The y-axis represents HA units from the 60 h post-infection time-point.

[0177] FIG. 10(A), FIG. 10(B), and FIG. 10(C) compare the HA content (determined by lectin-capture ELISA) of sucrose gradient-purified viruses harvested at 60 h post-infection from MDCK cell cultures infected with reverse genetics-derived 6:2 reassortants containing either the PR8-X or #21 backbone with the HA and NA segments from an H3 (strain 2; FIG. 10(A)) or a second H3 strain (strain 3; FIG. 10(B)) or a third H3 strain (strain 4; FIG. 10(C)). In FIG. 10(A) and FIG. 10(B), the white bar represents a reference vaccine strain (derived from WHO-Collaborating Centre-supplied strain) as control, the dotted bar represents a reassortant virus containing the PR8-X backbone, and the checked bar represents a reassortant virus containing the #21 backbone. The y-axis indicates HA yield in .mu.g/ml.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Development of New Donor Strains

[0178] In order to provide high-growth donor strains, the inventors found that a reassortant influenza virus comprising the PB1 segment of A/California/07/09 and all other backbone segments from PR8-X shows improved growth characteristics compared with reassortant influenza viruses which contain all backbone segments from PR8-X. This influenza backbone is referred to as #21.

Focus-Forming Assays (FFA)

[0179] For the FFA, uninfected MDCK cells are plated at a density of 1.8.times.104 cells/well in 96 well plates in 100 pi of DMEM with 10% FCS. The next day, medium is aspirated and cells are infected with viruses in a volume of 50 pi (viruses diluted in DMEM+1% FCS). The cells are incubated at 37.degree. C. until the next day.

[0180] At several time points after infection, the medium is aspirated and the cells washed once with PBS. 50 .mu.l of ice-cold 50%/50% acetone-methanol is added to each well followed by incubation at -20.degree. C. for 30 minutes. The acetone mix is aspirated and the cells washed once with PBST (PBS+0.1% Tween). 50 .mu.l of 2% BSA in PBS is added to each well followed by incubation at room temperature (RT) for 30 minutes. 50 .mu.l of a 1:6000 dilution of anti-NP is added in blocking buffer followed by incubation at RT for 1 hours. The antibody solution is aspirated and the cells washed three times with PBST. Secondary antibody (goat anti mouse) is added at a dilution 1:2000 in 50 .mu.l blocking buffer and the plate is incubated at RT for 1 hours. The antibody solution is aspirated and the cells washed three times with PBST. 50 .mu.l of KPL True Blue is added to each well and incubated for 10 minutes. The reaction is stopped by aspirating the True-Blue and washing once with dH.sub.2O. The water is aspirated and the cells are left to dry.

Growth Characteristics of Reassortant Viruses Containing PR8-X or #21 Backbones

[0181] In order to test the suitability of the #21 strain as a donor strain for virus reassortment, reassortant influenza viruses are produced by reverse genetics which contain the HA and NA proteins from various influenza strains (including zoonotic, seasonal, and pandemic-like strains) and the other viral segments from either PR8-X or the #21 backbone. The HA content, HA yield and the viral titres of these reassortant viruses are determined. As a control a reference vaccine strain which does not contain any backbone segments from PR8-X or A/California/07/09 is used. These viruses are cultured either in embyronated chicken eggs or in MDCK cells.

[0182] The results indicate that reassortant viruses which contain the #21 backbone consistently give higher viral titres and HA yields compared with the control virus and the virus which contains all backbone segments from PR8-X in both eggs and cell culture. This difference is due to the PB1 segment because this is the only difference between #21 reassortants and PR8-X reassortants (see FIG. 1(A), FIG. 1(B), FIG. 2(A), FIG. 2(B), FIG. 3, FIG. 4(A), and FIG. 4(B)).

Growth Characteristics of Reassortant Viruses Containing PR8-X or Canine Adapted PR8-X Backbones

[0183] In order to test the effect of canine-adapted mutations on the growth characteristics of PR8-X, the inventors introduce mutations into the PA segment (E327K, N444D, and N675D), or the NP segment (A27T, E375N) of PR8-X. These backbones are referred to as PR8-X(cPA) and PR8-X(cNP), respectively. Reassortant influenza viruses are produced containing the PRB-X(cPA) and PR8-X(cNP) backbones and the HA and NA segments of a pandemic-like H1 influenza strain (strain 1) or a H3 influenza strain (strain 2). As a control a reference vaccine strain which does not contain any backbone segments from PR8-X is used. The reassortant influenza viruses are cultured in MDCK cells.

[0184] The results show that reassortant influenza viruses which contain canine-adapted backbone segments consistently grow to higher viral titres compared with reassortant influenza viruses which contain unmodified PR8-X backbone segments (see FIG. 8(A), FIG. 8(B), FIG. 9(A), and FIG. 9(B)).

Growth Characteristics of Reassortant Viruses Containing PR8-X, #21 or #21C Backbones

[0185] In order to test whether canine-adapted mutations in the backbone segments improve the growth characteristics of the #21 backbone, the inventors modify the #21 backbone by introducing mutations into the PR8-X PB2 segment (R389K, T559N). This backbone is referred to as #21C. Reassortant influenza viruses are produced by reverse genetics which contain the HA and NA proteins from two different pandemic-like H1 strains (strains 1 and 2) and the other viral segments from either PR8-X, the #21 backbone or the #21C backbone. As a control a reference vaccine strain which docs not contain any backbone segments from PR8-X or A/California/07/09 is used. These viruses are cultured in MDCK cells. The virus yield of these reassortant viruses is determined. For reassortant influenza viruses containing the HA and NA segments from the pandemic-like H1 strain (strain 1) and the PR8-X or #21C backbones the FIA titres are also determined.

[0186] The results show that reassortant influenza viruses which contain the #21C backbone consistently grow to higher viral titres compared with reassortant influenza viruses which contain only PR8-X backbone segments or the #21 backbone (see FIG. 5(A), FIG. 5(B), FIG. 6, and FIG. 7). Reassortant influenza viruses comprising the #21C backbone also show higher HA titres compared with PR8-X reassortants.

[0187] It will be understood that the invention has been described by way of example only and modifications may be made whilst remaining within the scope and spirit of the invention.

REFERENCES

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Sequence CWU 1

1

321716PRTUnknownInfluenza 1Met Glu Asp Phe Val Arg Gln Cys Phe Asn Pro Met Ile Val Glu Leu1 5 10 15Ala Glu Lys Thr Met Lys Glu Tyr Gly Glu Asp Leu Lys Ile Glu Thr 20 25 30Asn Lys Phe Ala Ala Ile Cys Thr His Leu Glu Val Cys Phe Met Tyr 35 40 45Ser Asp Phe His Phe Ile Asn Glu Gln Gly Glu Ser Ile Ile Val Glu 50 55 60Leu Gly Asp Pro Asn Ala Leu Leu Lys His Arg Phe Glu Ile Ile Glu65 70 75 80Gly Arg Asp Arg Thr Met Ala Trp Thr Val Val Asn Ser Ile Cys Asn 85 90 95Thr Thr Gly Ala Glu Lys Pro Lys Phe Leu Pro Asp Leu Tyr Asp Tyr 100 105 110Lys Glu Asn Arg Phe Ile Glu Ile Gly Val Thr Arg Arg Glu Val His 115 120 125Ile Tyr Tyr Leu Glu Lys Ala Asn Lys Ile Lys Ser Glu Lys Thr His 130 135 140Ile His Ile Phe Ser Phe Thr Gly Glu Glu Met Ala Thr Lys Ala Asp145 150 155 160Tyr Thr Leu Asp Glu Glu Ser Arg Ala Arg Ile Lys Thr Arg Leu Phe 165 170 175Thr Ile Arg Gln Glu Met Ala Ser Arg Gly Leu Trp Asp Ser Phe Arg 180 185 190Gln Ser Glu Arg Gly Glu Glu Thr Ile Glu Glu Arg Phe Glu Ile Thr 195 200 205Gly Thr Met Arg Lys Leu Ala Asp Gln Ser Leu Pro Pro Asn Phe Ser 210 215 220Ser Leu Glu Asn Phe Arg Ala Tyr Val Asp Gly Phe Glu Pro Asn Gly225 230 235 240Tyr Ile Glu Gly Lys Leu Ser Gln Met Ser Lys Glu Val Asn Ala Arg 245 250 255Ile Glu Pro Phe Leu Lys Thr Thr Pro Arg Pro Leu Arg Leu Pro Asn 260 265 270Gly Pro Pro Cys Ser Gln Arg Ser Lys Phe Leu Leu Met Asp Ala Leu 275 280 285Lys Leu Ser Ile Glu Asp Pro Ser His Glu Gly Glu Gly Ile Pro Leu 290 295 300Tyr Asp Ala Ile Lys Cys Met Arg Thr Phe Phe Gly Trp Lys Glu Pro305 310 315 320Asn Val Val Lys Pro His Glu Lys Gly Ile Asn Pro Asn Tyr Leu Leu 325 330 335Ser Trp Lys Gln Val Leu Ala Glu Leu Gln Asp Ile Glu Asn Glu Glu 340 345 350Lys Ile Pro Lys Thr Lys Asn Met Lys Lys Thr Ser Gln Leu Lys Trp 355 360 365Ala Leu Gly Glu Asn Met Ala Pro Glu Lys Val Asp Phe Asp Asp Cys 370 375 380Lys Asp Val Gly Asp Leu Lys Gln Tyr Asp Ser Asp Glu Pro Glu Leu385 390 395 400Arg Ser Leu Ala Ser Trp Ile Gln Asn Glu Phe Asn Lys Ala Cys Glu 405 410 415Leu Thr Asp Ser Ser Trp Ile Glu Leu Asp Glu Ile Gly Glu Asp Val 420 425 430Ala Pro Ile Glu His Ile Ala Ser Met Arg Arg Asn Tyr Phe Thr Ser 435 440 445Glu Val Ser His Cys Arg Ala Thr Glu Tyr Ile Met Lys Gly Val Tyr 450 455 460Ile Asn Thr Ala Leu Leu Asn Ala Ser Cys Ala Ala Met Asp Asp Phe465 470 475 480Gln Leu Ile Pro Met Ile Ser Lys Cys Arg Thr Lys Glu Gly Arg Arg 485 490 495Lys Thr Asn Leu Tyr Gly Phe Ile Ile Lys Gly Arg Ser His Leu Arg 500 505 510Asn Asp Thr Asp Val Val Asn Phe Val Ser Met Glu Phe Ser Leu Thr 515 520 525Asp Pro Arg Leu Glu Pro His Lys Trp Glu Lys Tyr Cys Val Leu Glu 530 535 540Ile Gly Asp Met Leu Ile Arg Ser Ala Ile Gly Gln Val Ser Arg Pro545 550 555 560Met Phe Leu Tyr Val Arg Thr Asn Gly Thr Ser Lys Ile Lys Met Lys 565 570 575Trp Gly Met Glu Met Arg Arg Cys Leu Leu Gln Ser Leu Gln Gln Ile 580 585 590Glu Ser Met Ile Glu Ala Glu Ser Ser Val Lys Glu Lys Asp Met Thr 595 600 605Lys Glu Phe Phe Glu Asn Lys Ser Glu Thr Trp Pro Ile Gly Glu Ser 610 615 620Pro Lys Gly Val Glu Glu Ser Ser Ile Gly Lys Val Cys Arg Thr Leu625 630 635 640Leu Ala Lys Ser Val Phe Asn Ser Leu Tyr Ala Ser Pro Gln Leu Glu 645 650 655Gly Phe Ser Ala Glu Ser Arg Lys Leu Leu Leu Ile Val Gln Ala Leu 660 665 670Arg Asp Asn Leu Glu Pro Gly Thr Phe Asp Leu Gly Gly Leu Tyr Glu 675 680 685Ala Ile Glu Glu Cys Leu Ile Asn Asp Pro Trp Val Leu Leu Asn Ala 690 695 700Ser Trp Phe Asn Ser Phe Leu Thr His Ala Leu Ser705 710 7152757PRTUnknownInfluenza 2Met Asp Val Asn Pro Thr Leu Leu Phe Leu Lys Val Pro Thr Gln Asn1 5 10 15Ala Ile Ser Thr Thr Phe Pro Tyr Thr Gly Asp Pro Pro Tyr Ser His 20 25 30Gly Thr Gly Thr Gly Tyr Thr Met Asp Thr Val Asn Arg Thr His Gln 35 40 45Tyr Ser Glu Lys Gly Arg Trp Thr Thr Asn Thr Glu Thr Gly Ala Pro 50 55 60Gln Leu Asn Pro Ile Asp Gly Pro Leu Pro Glu Asp Asn Glu Pro Ser65 70 75 80Gly Tyr Ala Gln Thr Asp Cys Val Leu Glu Ala Met Ala Phe Leu Glu 85 90 95Glu Ser His Pro Gly Ile Phe Glu Asn Ser Cys Ile Glu Thr Met Glu 100 105 110Val Val Gln Gln Thr Arg Val Asp Lys Leu Thr Gln Gly Arg Gln Thr 115 120 125Tyr Asp Trp Thr Leu Asn Arg Asn Gln Pro Ala Ala Thr Ala Leu Ala 130 135 140Asn Thr Ile Glu Val Phe Arg Ser Asn Gly Leu Thr Ala Asn Glu Ser145 150 155 160Gly Arg Leu Ile Asp Phe Leu Lys Asp Val Met Glu Ser Met Asn Lys 165 170 175Glu Glu Met Gly Ile Thr Thr His Phe Gln Arg Lys Arg Arg Val Arg 180 185 190Asp Asn Met Thr Lys Lys Met Ile Thr Gln Arg Thr Met Gly Lys Lys 195 200 205Lys Gln Arg Leu Asn Lys Arg Ser Tyr Leu Ile Arg Ala Leu Thr Leu 210 215 220Asn Thr Met Thr Lys Asp Ala Glu Arg Gly Lys Leu Lys Arg Arg Ala225 230 235 240Ile Ala Thr Pro Gly Met Gln Ile Arg Gly Phe Val Tyr Phe Val Glu 245 250 255Thr Leu Ala Arg Ser Ile Cys Glu Lys Leu Glu Gln Ser Gly Leu Pro 260 265 270Val Gly Gly Asn Glu Lys Lys Ala Lys Leu Ala Asn Val Val Arg Lys 275 280 285Met Met Thr Asn Ser Gln Asp Thr Glu Leu Ser Phe Thr Ile Thr Gly 290 295 300Asp Asn Thr Lys Trp Asn Glu Asn Gln Asn Pro Arg Met Phe Leu Ala305 310 315 320Met Ile Thr Tyr Met Thr Arg Asn Gln Pro Glu Trp Phe Arg Asn Val 325 330 335Leu Ser Ile Ala Pro Ile Met Phe Ser Asn Lys Met Ala Arg Leu Gly 340 345 350Lys Gly Tyr Met Phe Glu Ser Lys Ser Met Lys Leu Arg Thr Gln Ile 355 360 365Pro Ala Glu Met Leu Ala Ser Ile Asp Leu Lys Tyr Phe Asn Asp Ser 370 375 380Thr Arg Lys Lys Ile Glu Lys Ile Arg Pro Leu Leu Ile Glu Gly Thr385 390 395 400Ala Ser Leu Ser Pro Gly Met Met Met Gly Met Phe Asn Met Leu Ser 405 410 415Thr Val Leu Gly Val Ser Ile Leu Asn Leu Gly Gln Lys Arg Tyr Thr 420 425 430Lys Thr Thr Tyr Trp Trp Asp Gly Leu Gln Ser Ser Asp Asp Phe Ala 435 440 445Leu Ile Val Asn Ala Pro Asn His Glu Gly Ile Gln Ala Gly Val Asp 450 455 460Arg Phe Tyr Arg Thr Cys Lys Leu Leu Gly Ile Asn Met Ser Lys Lys465 470 475 480Lys Ser Tyr Ile Asn Arg Thr Gly Thr Phe Glu Phe Thr Ser Phe Phe 485 490 495Tyr Arg Tyr Gly Phe Val Ala Asn Phe Ser Met Glu Leu Pro Ser Phe 500 505 510Gly Val Ser Gly Ile Asn Glu Ser Ala Asp Met Ser Ile Gly Val Thr 515 520 525Val Ile Lys Asn Asn Met Ile Asn Asn Asp Leu Gly Pro Ala Thr Ala 530 535 540Gln Met Ala Leu Gln Leu Phe Ile Lys Asp Tyr Arg Tyr Thr Tyr Arg545 550 555 560Cys His Arg Gly Asp Thr Gln Ile Gln Thr Arg Arg Ser Phe Glu Ile 565 570 575Lys Lys Leu Trp Glu Gln Thr Arg Ser Lys Ala Gly Leu Leu Val Ser 580 585 590Asp Gly Gly Pro Asn Leu Tyr Asn Ile Arg Asn Leu His Ile Pro Glu 595 600 605Val Cys Leu Lys Trp Glu Leu Met Asp Glu Asp Tyr Gln Gly Arg Leu 610 615 620Cys Asn Pro Leu Asn Pro Phe Val Ser His Lys Glu Ile Glu Ser Met625 630 635 640Asn Asn Ala Val Met Met Pro Ala His Gly Pro Ala Lys Asn Met Glu 645 650 655Tyr Asp Ala Val Ala Thr Thr His Ser Trp Ile Pro Lys Arg Asn Arg 660 665 670Ser Ile Leu Asn Thr Ser Gln Arg Gly Val Leu Glu Asp Glu Gln Met 675 680 685Tyr Gln Arg Cys Cys Asn Leu Phe Glu Lys Phe Phe Pro Ser Ser Ser 690 695 700Tyr Arg Arg Pro Val Gly Ile Ser Ser Met Val Glu Ala Met Val Ser705 710 715 720Arg Ala Arg Ile Asp Ala Arg Ile Asp Phe Glu Ser Gly Arg Ile Lys 725 730 735Lys Glu Glu Phe Thr Glu Ile Met Lys Ile Cys Ser Thr Ile Glu Glu 740 745 750Leu Arg Arg Gln Lys 7553759PRTUnknownInfluenza 3Met Glu Arg Ile Lys Glu Leu Arg Asn Leu Met Ser Gln Ser Arg Thr1 5 10 15Arg Glu Ile Leu Thr Lys Thr Thr Val Asp His Met Ala Ile Ile Lys 20 25 30Lys Tyr Thr Ser Gly Arg Gln Glu Lys Asn Pro Ala Leu Arg Met Lys 35 40 45Trp Met Met Ala Met Lys Tyr Pro Ile Thr Ala Asp Lys Arg Ile Thr 50 55 60Glu Met Ile Pro Glu Arg Asn Glu Gln Gly Gln Thr Leu Trp Ser Lys65 70 75 80Met Asn Asp Ala Gly Ser Asp Arg Val Met Val Ser Pro Leu Ala Val 85 90 95Thr Trp Trp Asn Arg Asn Gly Pro Ile Thr Asn Thr Val His Tyr Pro 100 105 110Lys Ile Tyr Lys Thr Tyr Phe Glu Arg Val Glu Arg Leu Lys His Gly 115 120 125Thr Phe Gly Pro Val His Phe Arg Asn Gln Val Lys Ile Arg Arg Arg 130 135 140Val Asp Ile Asn Pro Gly His Ala Asp Leu Ser Ala Lys Glu Ala Gln145 150 155 160Asp Val Ile Met Glu Val Val Phe Pro Asn Glu Val Gly Ala Arg Ile 165 170 175Leu Thr Ser Glu Ser Gln Leu Thr Ile Thr Lys Glu Lys Lys Glu Glu 180 185 190Leu Gln Asp Cys Lys Ile Ser Pro Leu Met Val Ala Tyr Met Leu Glu 195 200 205Arg Glu Leu Val Arg Lys Thr Arg Phe Leu Pro Val Ala Gly Gly Thr 210 215 220Ser Ser Val Tyr Ile Glu Val Leu His Leu Thr Gln Gly Thr Cys Trp225 230 235 240Glu Gln Met Tyr Thr Pro Gly Gly Glu Val Arg Asn Asp Asp Val Asp 245 250 255Gln Ser Leu Ile Ile Ala Ala Arg Asn Ile Val Arg Arg Ala Ala Val 260 265 270Ser Ala Asp Pro Leu Ala Ser Leu Leu Glu Met Cys His Ser Thr Gln 275 280 285Ile Gly Gly Ile Arg Met Val Asp Ile Leu Arg Gln Asn Pro Thr Glu 290 295 300Glu Gln Ala Val Asp Ile Cys Lys Ala Ala Met Gly Leu Arg Ile Ser305 310 315 320Ser Ser Phe Ser Phe Gly Gly Phe Thr Phe Lys Arg Thr Ser Gly Ser 325 330 335Ser Val Lys Arg Glu Glu Glu Val Leu Thr Gly Asn Leu Gln Thr Leu 340 345 350Lys Ile Arg Val His Glu Gly Tyr Glu Glu Phe Thr Met Val Gly Arg 355 360 365Arg Ala Thr Ala Ile Leu Arg Lys Ala Thr Arg Arg Leu Ile Gln Leu 370 375 380Ile Val Ser Gly Arg Asp Glu Gln Ser Ile Ala Glu Ala Ile Ile Val385 390 395 400Ala Met Val Phe Ser Gln Glu Asp Cys Met Ile Lys Ala Val Arg Gly 405 410 415Asp Leu Asn Phe Val Asn Arg Ala Asn Gln Arg Leu Asn Pro Met His 420 425 430Gln Leu Leu Arg His Phe Gln Lys Asp Ala Arg Val Leu Phe Gln Asn 435 440 445Trp Gly Val Glu Pro Ile Asp Asn Val Met Gly Met Ile Gly Ile Leu 450 455 460Pro Asp Met Thr Pro Ser Ile Glu Met Ser Met Arg Gly Val Arg Ile465 470 475 480Ser Lys Met Gly Val Asp Glu Tyr Ser Ser Thr Glu Arg Val Val Val 485 490 495Ser Ile Asp Arg Phe Leu Arg Ile Arg Asp Gln Arg Gly Asn Val Leu 500 505 510Leu Ser Pro Glu Glu Val Ser Glu Thr Gln Gly Thr Glu Lys Leu Thr 515 520 525Ile Thr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Met Met Trp Glu Ile Asn Gly Pro Glu Ser 530 535 540Val Leu Val Asn Thr Tyr Gln Trp Ile Ile Arg Asn Trp Glu Thr Val545 550 555 560Lys Ile Gln Trp Ser Gln Asn Pro Thr Met Leu Tyr Asn Lys Met Glu 565 570 575Phe Glu Pro Phe Gln Ser Leu Val Pro Lys Ala Ile Arg Gly Gln Tyr 580 585 590Ser Gly Phe Val Arg Thr Leu Phe Gln Gln Met Arg Asp Val Leu Gly 595 600 605Thr Phe Asp Thr Ala Gln Ile Ile Lys Leu Leu Pro Phe Ala Ala Ala 610 615 620Pro Pro Lys Gln Ser Arg Met Gln Phe Ser Ser Phe Thr Val Asn Val625 630 635 640Arg Gly Ser Gly Met Arg Ile Leu Val Arg Gly Asn Ser Pro Val Phe 645 650 655Asn Tyr Asn Lys Ala Thr Lys Arg Leu Thr Val Leu Gly Lys Asp Ala 660 665 670Gly Thr Leu Thr Glu Asp Pro Asp Glu Gly Thr Ala Gly Val Glu Ser 675 680 685Ala Val Leu Arg Gly Phe Leu Ile Leu Gly Lys Glu Asp Lys Arg Tyr 690 695 700Gly Pro Ala Leu Ser Ile Asn Glu Leu Ser Asn Leu Ala Lys Gly Glu705 710 715 720Lys Ala Asn Val Leu Ile Gly Gln Gly Asp Val Val Leu Val Met Lys 725 730 735Arg Lys Arg Asp Ser Ser Ile Leu Thr Asp Ser Gln Thr Ala Thr Lys 740 745 750Arg Ile Arg Met Ala Ile Asn 7554498PRTUnknownInfluenza 4Met Ala Ser Gln Gly Thr Lys Arg Ser Tyr Glu Gln Met Glu Thr Asp1 5 10 15Gly Glu Arg Gln Asn Ala Thr Glu Ile Arg Ala Ser Val Gly Lys Met 20 25 30Ile Gly Gly Ile Gly Arg Phe Tyr Ile Gln Met Cys Thr Glu Leu Lys 35 40 45Leu Ser Asp Tyr Glu Gly Arg Leu Ile Gln Asn Ser Leu Thr Ile Glu 50 55 60Arg Met Val Leu Ser Ala Phe Asp Glu Arg Arg Asn Lys Tyr Leu Glu65 70 75 80Glu His Pro Ser Ala Gly Lys Asp Pro Lys Lys Thr Gly Gly Pro Ile 85 90 95Tyr Arg Arg Val Asn Gly Lys Trp Met Arg Glu Leu Ile Leu Tyr Asp 100 105 110Lys Glu Glu Ile Arg Arg Ile Trp Arg Gln Ala Asn Asn Gly Asp Asp 115 120 125Ala Thr Ala Gly Leu Thr His Met Met Ile Trp His Ser Asn Leu Asn 130 135 140Asp Ala Thr Tyr Gln Arg Thr Arg Ala Leu Val Arg Thr Gly Met Asp145 150 155 160Pro Arg Met Cys Ser Leu Met Gln Gly Ser Thr Leu Pro Arg Arg Ser 165 170 175Gly Ala Ala Gly Ala Ala Val Lys Gly Val Gly Thr Met Val Met Glu 180 185 190Leu Val Arg Met Ile Lys Arg Gly Ile Asn Asp Arg Asn Phe Trp Arg 195 200 205Gly Glu Asn Gly Arg Lys Thr Arg Ile Ala Tyr Glu Arg Met Cys Asn 210 215 220Ile Leu Lys Gly Lys Phe Gln Thr Ala Ala Gln Lys Ala Met Met Asp225

230 235 240Gln Val Arg Glu Ser Arg Asn Pro Gly Asn Ala Glu Phe Glu Asp Leu 245 250 255Thr Phe Leu Ala Arg Ser Ala Leu Ile Leu Arg Gly Ser Val Ala His 260 265 270Lys Ser Cys Leu Pro Ala Cys Val Tyr Gly Pro Ala Val Ala Ser Gly 275 280 285Tyr Asp Phe Glu Arg Glu Gly Tyr Ser Leu Val Gly Ile Asp Pro Phe 290 295 300Arg Leu Leu Gln Asn Ser Gln Val Tyr Ser Leu Ile Arg Pro Asn Glu305 310 315 320Asn Pro Ala His Lys Ser Gln Leu Val Trp Met Ala Cys His Ser Ala 325 330 335Ala Phe Glu Asp Leu Arg Val Leu Ser Phe Ile Lys Gly Thr Lys Val 340 345 350Leu Pro Arg Gly Lys Leu Ser Thr Arg Gly Val Gln Ile Ala Ser Asn 355 360 365Glu Asn Met Glu Thr Met Glu Ser Ser Thr Leu Glu Leu Arg Ser Arg 370 375 380Tyr Trp Ala Ile Arg Thr Arg Ser Gly Gly Asn Thr Asn Gln Gln Arg385 390 395 400Ala Ser Ala Gly Gln Ile Ser Ile Gln Pro Thr Phe Ser Val Gln Arg 405 410 415Asn Leu Pro Phe Asp Arg Thr Thr Ile Met Ala Ala Phe Asn Gly Asn 420 425 430Thr Glu Gly Arg Thr Ser Asp Met Arg Thr Glu Ile Ile Arg Met Met 435 440 445Glu Ser Ala Arg Pro Glu Asp Val Ser Phe Gln Gly Arg Gly Val Phe 450 455 460Glu Leu Ser Asp Glu Lys Ala Ala Ser Pro Ile Val Pro Ser Phe Asp465 470 475 480Met Ser Asn Glu Gly Ser Tyr Phe Phe Gly Asp Asn Ala Glu Glu Tyr 485 490 495Asp Asn5252PRTUnknownInfluenza 5Met Ser Leu Leu Thr Glu Val Glu Thr Tyr Val Leu Ser Ile Ile Pro1 5 10 15Ser Gly Pro Leu Lys Ala Glu Ile Ala Gln Arg Leu Glu Asp Val Phe 20 25 30Ala Gly Lys Asn Thr Asp Leu Glu Val Leu Met Glu Trp Leu Lys Thr 35 40 45Arg Pro Ile Leu Ser Pro Leu Thr Lys Gly Ile Leu Gly Phe Val Phe 50 55 60Thr Leu Thr Val Pro Ser Glu Arg Gly Leu Gln Arg Arg Arg Phe Val65 70 75 80Gln Asn Ala Leu Asn Gly Asn Gly Asp Pro Asn Asn Met Asp Lys Ala 85 90 95Val Lys Leu Tyr Arg Lys Leu Lys Arg Glu Ile Thr Phe His Gly Ala 100 105 110Lys Glu Ile Ser Leu Ser Tyr Ser Ala Gly Ala Leu Ala Ser Cys Met 115 120 125Gly Leu Ile Tyr Asn Arg Met Gly Ala Val Thr Thr Glu Val Ala Phe 130 135 140Gly Leu Val Cys Ala Thr Cys Glu Gln Ile Ala Asp Ser Gln His Arg145 150 155 160Ser His Arg Gln Met Val Thr Thr Thr Asn Pro Leu Ile Arg His Glu 165 170 175Asn Arg Met Val Leu Ala Ser Thr Thr Ala Lys Ala Met Glu Gln Met 180 185 190Ala Gly Ser Ser Glu Gln Ala Ala Glu Ala Met Glu Val Ala Ser Gln 195 200 205Ala Arg Gln Met Val Gln Ala Met Arg Thr Ile Gly Thr His Pro Ser 210 215 220Ser Ser Ala Gly Leu Lys Asn Asp Leu Leu Glu Asn Leu Gln Ala Tyr225 230 235 240Gln Lys Arg Met Gly Val Gln Met Gln Arg Phe Lys 245 2506230PRTUnknownInfluenza 6Met Asp Pro Asn Thr Val Ser Ser Phe Gln Val Asp Cys Phe Leu Trp1 5 10 15His Val Arg Lys Arg Val Ala Asp Gln Glu Leu Gly Asp Ala Pro Phe 20 25 30Leu Asp Arg Leu Arg Arg Asp Gln Lys Ser Leu Arg Gly Arg Gly Ser 35 40 45Thr Leu Gly Leu Asp Ile Lys Thr Ala Thr Arg Ala Gly Lys Gln Ile 50 55 60Val Glu Arg Ile Leu Lys Glu Glu Ser Asp Glu Ala Leu Lys Met Thr65 70 75 80Met Ala Ser Val Pro Ala Ser Arg Tyr Leu Thr Asp Met Thr Leu Glu 85 90 95Glu Met Ser Arg Asp Trp Ser Met Leu Ile Pro Lys Gln Lys Val Ala 100 105 110Gly Pro Leu Cys Ile Arg Met Asp Gln Ala Ile Met Asp Lys Asn Ile 115 120 125Ile Leu Lys Ala Asn Phe Ser Val Ile Phe Asp Arg Leu Glu Thr Leu 130 135 140Ile Leu Leu Arg Ala Phe Thr Glu Glu Gly Ala Ile Val Gly Glu Ile145 150 155 160Ser Pro Leu Pro Ser Leu Pro Gly His Thr Ala Glu Asp Val Lys Asn 165 170 175Ala Val Gly Val Leu Ile Gly Gly Leu Glu Trp Asn Asp Asn Thr Val 180 185 190Arg Val Ser Glu Thr Leu Gln Arg Phe Ala Trp Arg Ser Ser Asn Glu 195 200 205Asn Gly Arg Pro Pro Leu Thr Pro Lys Gln Lys Arg Glu Met Ala Gly 210 215 220Thr Ile Arg Ser Glu Val225 2307565PRTUnknownInfluenza 7Met Lys Ala Asn Leu Leu Val Leu Leu Cys Ala Leu Ala Ala Ala Asp1 5 10 15Ala Asp Thr Ile Cys Ile Gly Tyr His Thr Asn Asn Ser Thr Asp Thr 20 25 30Val Asp Thr Val Leu Glu Lys Asn Val Thr Val Thr His Ser Val Asn 35 40 45Leu Leu Glu Asp Ser His Asn Gly Lys Leu Cys Arg Leu Lys Gly Ile 50 55 60Ala Pro Leu Gln Leu Gly Lys Cys Asn Ile Ala Gly Trp Leu Leu Gly65 70 75 80Asn Pro Glu Cys Asp Pro Leu Leu Pro Val Arg Ser Trp Ser Tyr Ile 85 90 95Val Glu Thr Pro Asn Ser Glu Asn Gly Ile Cys Tyr Pro Gly Asp Phe 100 105 110Ile Asp Tyr Glu Glu Leu Arg Glu Gln Leu Ser Ser Val Ser Ser Phe 115 120 125Glu Arg Phe Glu Ile Phe Pro Lys Glu Ser Ser Trp Pro Asn His Asn 130 135 140Thr Asn Gly Val Thr Ala Ala Cys Ser His Glu Gly Lys Ser Ser Phe145 150 155 160Tyr Arg Asn Leu Leu Trp Leu Thr Glu Lys Glu Gly Ser Tyr Pro Lys 165 170 175Leu Lys Asn Ser Tyr Val Asn Lys Lys Gly Lys Glu Val Leu Val Leu 180 185 190Trp Gly Ile His His Pro Pro Asn Ser Lys Glu Gln Gln Asn Leu Tyr 195 200 205Gln Asn Glu Asn Ala Tyr Val Ser Val Val Thr Ser Asn Tyr Asn Arg 210 215 220Arg Phe Thr Pro Glu Ile Ala Glu Arg Pro Lys Val Arg Asp Gln Ala225 230 235 240Gly Arg Met Asn Tyr Tyr Trp Thr Leu Leu Lys Pro Gly Asp Thr Ile 245 250 255Ile Phe Glu Ala Asn Gly Asn Leu Ile Ala Pro Met Tyr Ala Phe Ala 260 265 270Leu Ser Arg Gly Phe Gly Ser Gly Ile Ile Thr Ser Asn Ala Ser Met 275 280 285His Glu Cys Asn Thr Lys Cys Gln Thr Pro Leu Gly Ala Ile Asn Ser 290 295 300Ser Leu Pro Tyr Gln Asn Ile His Pro Val Thr Ile Gly Glu Cys Pro305 310 315 320Lys Tyr Val Arg Ser Ala Lys Leu Arg Met Val Thr Gly Leu Arg Asn 325 330 335Ile Pro Ser Ile Gln Ser Arg Gly Leu Phe Gly Ala Ile Ala Gly Phe 340 345 350Ile Glu Gly Gly Trp Thr Gly Met Ile Asp Gly Trp Tyr Gly Tyr His 355 360 365His Gln Asn Glu Gln Gly Ser Gly Tyr Ala Ala Asp Gln Lys Ser Thr 370 375 380Gln Asn Ala Ile Asn Gly Ile Thr Asn Lys Val Asn Thr Val Ile Glu385 390 395 400Lys Met Asn Ile Gln Phe Thr Ala Val Gly Lys Glu Phe Asn Lys Leu 405 410 415Glu Lys Arg Met Glu Asn Leu Asn Lys Lys Val Asp Asp Gly Phe Leu 420 425 430Asp Ile Trp Thr Tyr Asn Ala Glu Leu Leu Val Leu Leu Glu Asn Glu 435 440 445Arg Thr Leu Glu Phe His Asp Ser Asn Val Lys Asn Leu Tyr Glu Lys 450 455 460Val Lys Ser Gln Leu Lys Asn Asn Ala Lys Glu Ile Gly Asn Gly Cys465 470 475 480Phe Glu Phe Tyr His Lys Cys Asp Asn Glu Cys Met Glu Ser Val Arg 485 490 495Asn Gly Thr Tyr Asp Tyr Pro Lys Tyr Ser Glu Glu Ser Lys Leu Asn 500 505 510Arg Glu Lys Val Asp Gly Val Lys Leu Glu Ser Met Gly Ile Tyr Gln 515 520 525Ile Leu Ala Ile Tyr Ser Thr Val Ala Ser Ser Leu Val Leu Leu Val 530 535 540Ser Leu Gly Ala Ile Ser Phe Trp Met Cys Ser Asn Gly Ser Leu Gln545 550 555 560Cys Arg Ile Cys Ile 5658454PRTUnknownInfluenza 8Met Asn Pro Asn Gln Lys Ile Ile Thr Ile Gly Ser Ile Cys Leu Val1 5 10 15Val Gly Leu Ile Ser Leu Ile Leu Gln Ile Gly Asn Ile Ile Ser Ile 20 25 30Trp Ile Ser His Ser Ile Gln Thr Gly Ser Gln Asn His Thr Gly Ile 35 40 45Cys Asn Gln Asn Ile Ile Thr Tyr Lys Asn Ser Thr Trp Val Lys Asp 50 55 60Thr Thr Ser Val Ile Leu Thr Gly Asn Ser Ser Leu Cys Pro Ile Arg65 70 75 80Gly Trp Ala Ile Tyr Ser Lys Asp Asn Ser Ile Arg Ile Gly Ser Lys 85 90 95Gly Asp Val Phe Val Ile Arg Glu Pro Phe Ile Ser Cys Ser His Leu 100 105 110Glu Cys Arg Thr Phe Phe Leu Thr Gln Gly Ala Leu Leu Asn Asp Lys 115 120 125His Ser Ser Gly Thr Val Lys Asp Arg Ser Pro Tyr Arg Ala Leu Met 130 135 140Ser Cys Pro Val Gly Glu Ala Pro Ser Pro Tyr Asn Ser Arg Phe Glu145 150 155 160Ser Val Ala Trp Ser Ala Ser Ala Cys His Asp Gly Met Gly Trp Leu 165 170 175Thr Ile Gly Ile Ser Gly Pro Asp Asn Gly Ala Val Ala Val Leu Lys 180 185 190Tyr Asn Gly Ile Ile Thr Glu Thr Ile Lys Ser Trp Arg Lys Lys Ile 195 200 205Leu Arg Thr Gln Glu Ser Glu Cys Ala Cys Val Asn Gly Ser Cys Phe 210 215 220Thr Ile Met Thr Asp Gly Pro Ser Asp Gly Leu Ala Ser Tyr Lys Ile225 230 235 240Phe Lys Ile Glu Lys Gly Lys Val Thr Lys Ser Ile Glu Leu Asn Ala 245 250 255Pro Asn Ser His Tyr Glu Glu Cys Ser Cys Tyr Pro Asp Thr Asp Lys 260 265 270Val Met Cys Val Cys Arg Asp Asn Trp His Gly Ser Asn Arg Pro Trp 275 280 285Val Ser Phe Asp Gln Asn Leu Asp Tyr Gln Ile Gly Tyr Ile Cys Ser 290 295 300Gly Val Phe Gly Asp Asn Pro Arg Pro Glu Asp Gly Thr Gly Ser Cys305 310 315 320Gly Pro Val Tyr Val Asp Gly Ala Asn Gly Val Lys Gly Phe Ser Tyr 325 330 335Arg Tyr Gly Asn Gly Val Trp Ile Gly Arg Thr Lys Ser His Ser Ser 340 345 350Arg His Gly Phe Glu Met Ile Trp Asp Pro Asn Gly Trp Thr Glu Thr 355 360 365Asp Ser Lys Phe Ser Val Arg Gln Asp Val Val Ala Met Thr Asp Trp 370 375 380Ser Gly Tyr Ser Gly Ser Phe Val Gln His Pro Glu Leu Thr Gly Leu385 390 395 400Asp Cys Met Arg Pro Cys Phe Trp Val Glu Leu Ile Arg Gly Arg Pro 405 410 415Lys Glu Lys Thr Ile Trp Thr Ser Ala Ser Ser Ile Ser Phe Cys Gly 420 425 430Val Asn Ser Asp Thr Val Asp Trp Ser Trp Pro Asp Gly Ala Glu Leu 435 440 445Pro Phe Ser Ile Asp Lys 45092233DNAUnknownInfluenza 9agcgaaagca ggtactgatc caaaatggaa gattttgtgc gacaatgctt caatccgatg 60attgtcgagc ttgcggaaaa aacaatgaaa gagtatgggg aggacctgaa aatcgaaaca 120aacaaatttg cagcaatatg cactcacttg gaagtatgct tcatgtattc agattttcac 180ttcatcaatg agcaaggcga gtcaataatc gtagaacttg gtgatccaaa tgcacttttg 240aagcacagat ttgaaataat cgagggaaga gatcgcacaa tggcctggac agtagtaaac 300agtatttgca acactacagg ggctgagaaa ccaaagtttc taccagattt gtatgattac 360aaggagaata gatttatcga aattggagta acaaggagag aagttcacat atactatctg 420gaaaaggcca ataaaattaa atctgagaaa acacacatcc acattttctc gttcactggg 480gaagaaatgg ccacaaaggc agactacact ctcgatgaag aaagcagggc taggatcaaa 540accagactat tcaccataag acaagaaatg gccagcagag gcctctggga ttcctttcgt 600cagtccgaga gaggagaaga gacaattgaa gaaaggtttg aaatcacagg aacaatgcgc 660aagcttgccg accaaagtct cccgccgaac ttctccagcc ttgaaaattt tagagcctat 720gtggatggat tcgaaccgaa cggctacatt gagggcaagc tgtctcaaat gtccaaagaa 780gtaaatgcta gaattgaacc ttttttgaaa acaacaccac gaccacttag acttccgaat 840gggcctccct gttctcagcg gtccaaattc ctgctgatgg atgccttaaa attaagcatt 900gaggacccaa gtcatgaagg agagggaata ccgctatatg atgcaatcaa atgcatgaga 960acattctttg gatggaagga acccaatgtt gttaaaccac acgaaaaggg aataaatcca 1020aattatcttc tgtcatggaa gcaagtactg gcagaactgc aggacattga gaatgaggag 1080aaaattccaa agactaaaaa tatgaagaaa acaagtcagc taaagtgggc acttggtgag 1140aacatggcac cagaaaaggt agactttgac gactgtaaag atgtaggtga tttgaagcaa 1200tatgatagtg atgaaccaga attgaggtcg cttgcaagtt ggattcagaa tgagtttaac 1260aaggcatgcg aactgacaga ttcaagctgg atagagctcg atgagattgg agaagatgtg 1320gctccaattg aacacattgc aagcatgaga aggaattatt tcacatcaga ggtgtctcac 1380tgcagagcca cagaatacat aatgaagggg gtgtacatca atactgcctt gcttaatgca 1440tcttgtgcag caatggatga tttccaatta attccaatga taagcaagtg tagaactaag 1500gagggaaggc gaaagaccaa cttgtatggt ttcatcataa aaggaagatc ccacttaagg 1560aatgacaccg acgtggtaaa ctttgtgagc atggagtttt ctctcactga cccaagactt 1620gaaccacata aatgggagaa gtactgtgtt cttgagatag gagatatgct tataagaagt 1680gccataggcc aggtttcaag gcccatgttc ttgtatgtga gaacaaatgg aacctcaaaa 1740attaaaatga aatggggaat ggagatgagg cgttgcctcc tccagtcact tcaacaaatt 1800gagagtatga ttgaagctga gtcctctgtc aaagagaaag acatgaccaa agagttcttt 1860gagaacaaat cagaaacatg gcccattgga gagtccccca aaggagtgga ggaaagttcc 1920attgggaagg tctgcaggac tttattagca aagtcggtat tcaacagctt gtatgcatct 1980ccacaactag aaggattttc agctgaatca agaaaactgc ttcttatcgt tcaggctctt 2040agggacaacc ttgaacctgg gacctttgat cttggggggc tatatgaagc aattgaggag 2100tgcctgatta atgatccctg ggttttgctt aatgcttctt ggttcaactc cttccttaca 2160catgcattga gttagttgtg gcagtgctac tatttgctat ccatactgtc caaaaaagta 2220ccttgtttct act 2233102341DNAUnknownInfluenza 10agcgaaagca ggcaaaccat ttgaatggat gtcaatccga ccttactttt cttaaaagtg 60ccaacacaaa atgctataag cacaactttc ccttatactg gagaccctcc ttacagccat 120gggacaggaa caggatacac catggatact gtcaacagga cacatcagta ctcagaaaag 180ggaagatgga caacaaacac cgaaactgga gcaccgcaac tcaacccgat tgatgggcca 240ctgccagaag acaatgaacc aagtggttat gcccaaacag attgtgtatt ggaggcgatg 300gctttccttg aggaatccca tcctggtatt tttgaaaact cgtgtattga aacgatggag 360gttgttcagc aaacacgagt agacaagctg acacaaggcc gacagaccta tgactggact 420ctaaatagaa accaacctgc tgcaacagca ttggccaaca caatagaagt gttcagatca 480aatggcctca cggccaatga gtctggaagg ctcatagact tccttaagga tgtaatggag 540tcaatgaaca aagaagaaat ggggatcaca actcattttc agagaaagag acgggtgaga 600gacaatatga ctaagaaaat gataacacag agaacaatgg gtaaaaagaa gcagagattg 660aacaaaagga gttatctaat tagagcattg accctgaaca caatgaccaa agatgctgag 720agagggaagc taaaacggag agcaattgca accccaggga tgcaaataag ggggtttgta 780tactttgttg agacactggc aaggagtata tgtgagaaac ttgaacaatc agggttgcca 840gttggaggca atgagaagaa agcaaagttg gcaaatgttg taaggaagat gatgaccaat 900tctcaggaca ccgaactttc tttcaccatc actggagata acaccaaatg gaacgaaaat 960cagaatcctc ggatgttttt ggccatgatc acatatatga ccagaaatca gcccgaatgg 1020ttcagaaatg ttctaagtat tgctccaata atgttctcaa acaaaatggc gagactggga 1080aaagggtata tgtttgagag caagagtatg aaacttagaa ctcaaatacc tgcagaaatg 1140ctagcaagca tcgatttgaa atatttcaat gattcaacaa gaaagaagat tgaaaaaatc 1200cgaccgctct taatagaggg gactgcatca ttgagccctg gaatgatgat gggcatgttc 1260aatatgttaa gcactgtatt aggcgtctcc atcctgaatc ttggacaaaa gagatacacc 1320aagactactt actggtggga tggtcttcaa tcctctgacg attttgctct gattgtgaat 1380gcacccaatc atgaagggat tcaagccgga gtcgacaggt tttatcgaac ctgtaagcta 1440cttggaatca atatgagcaa gaaaaagtct tacataaaca gaacaggtac atttgaattc 1500acaagttttt tctatcgtta tgggtttgtt gccaatttca gcatggagct tcccagtttt 1560ggggtgtctg ggatcaacga gtcagcggac atgagtattg gagttactgt catcaaaaac 1620aatatgataa acaatgatct tggtccagca acagctcaaa tggcccttca gttgttcatc 1680aaagattaca ggtacacgta ccgatgccat agaggtgaca cacaaataca aacccgaaga 1740tcatttgaaa taaagaaact gtgggagcaa acccgttcca aagctggact gctggtctcc 1800gacggaggcc caaatttata caacattaga aatctccaca ttcctgaagt ctgcctaaaa 1860tgggaattga tggatgagga ttaccagggg cgtttatgca acccactgaa cccatttgtc

1920agccataaag aaattgaatc aatgaacaat gcagtgatga tgccagcaca tggtccagcc 1980aaaaacatgg agtatgatgc tgttgcaaca acacactcct ggatccccaa aagaaatcga 2040tccatcttga atacaagtca aagaggagta cttgaggatg aacaaatgta ccaaaggtgc 2100tgcaatttat ttgaaaaatt cttccccagc agttcataca gaagaccagt cgggatatcc 2160agtatggtgg aggctatggt ttccagagcc cgaattgatg cacggattga tttcgaatct 2220ggaaggataa agaaagaaga gttcactgag atcatgaaga tctgttccac cattgaagag 2280ctcagacggc aaaaatagtg aatttagctt gtccttcatg aaaaaatgcc ttgtttctac 2340t 2341112341DNAUnknownInfluenza 11agcgaaagca ggtcaattat attcaatatg gaaagaataa aagaactaag aaatctaatg 60tcgcagtctc gcacccgcga gatactcaca aaaaccaccg tggaccatat ggccataatc 120aagaagtaca catcaggaag acaggagaag aacccagcac ttaggatgaa atggatgatg 180gcaatgaaat atccaattac agcagacaag aggataacgg aaatgattcc tgagagaaat 240gagcaaggac aaactttatg gagtaaaatg aatgatgccg gatcagaccg agtgatggta 300tcacctctgg ctgtgacatg gtggaatagg aatggaccaa taacaaatac agttcattat 360ccaaaaatct acaaaactta ttttgaaaga gtagaaaggc taaagcatgg aacctttggc 420cctgtccatt ttagaaacca agtcaaaata cgtcggagag ttgacataaa tcctggtcat 480gcagatctca gtgccaagga ggcacaggat gtaatcatgg aagttgtttt ccctaacgaa 540gtgggagcca ggatactaac atcggaatcg caactaacga taaccaaaga gaagaaagaa 600gaactccagg attgcaaaat ttctcctttg atggttgcat acatgttgga gagagaactg 660gtccgcaaaa cgagattcct cccagtggct ggtggaacaa gcagtgtgta cattgaagtg 720ttgcatttga ctcaaggaac atgctgggaa cagatgtata ctccaggagg ggaagtgagg 780aatgatgatg ttgatcaaag cttgattatt gctgctagga acatagtgag aagagctgca 840gtatcagcag atccactagc atctttattg gagatgtgcc acagcacaca gattggtgga 900attaggatgg tagacatcct taggcagaac ccaacagaag agcaagccgt ggatatatgc 960aaggctgcaa tgggactgag aattagctca tccttcagtt ttggtggatt cacatttaag 1020agaacaagcg gatcatcagt caagagagag gaagaggtgc ttacgggaaa tcttcaaaca 1080ttgaagataa gagtgcatga gggatatgaa gagttcacaa tggttgggag aagagcaaca 1140gccatactca gaaaagcaac caggagattg attcagctga tagtgagtgg gagagacgaa 1200cagtcgattg ccgaagcaat aattgtggcc atggtatttt cacaagagga ttgtatgata 1260aaagcagtca gaggtgatct gaatttcgtc aatagggcga atcagcgatt gaatcctatg 1320catcaacttt taagacattt tcagaaggat gcgagagtgc tttttcaaaa ttggggagtt 1380gaacctatcg acaatgtgat gggaatgatt gggatattgc ccgacatgac tccaagcatc 1440gagatgtcaa tgagaggagt gagaatcagc aaaatgggtg tagatgagta ctccagcacg 1500gagagggtag tggtgagcat tgaccgtttt ttgagaatcc gggaccaacg aggaaatgta 1560ctactgtctc ccgaggaggt cagtgaaaca cagggaacag agaaactgac aataacttac 1620tcatcgtcaa tgatgtggga gattaatggt cctgaatcag tattggtcaa tacctatcaa 1680tggatcatca gaaactggga aactgttaaa attcagtggt cccagaaccc tacaatgcta 1740tacaataaaa tggaatttga accatttcag tctttagtac ctaaggccat tagaggccaa 1800tacagtgggt ttgtaagaac tctgttccaa caaatgaggg atgtgcttgg gacatttgat 1860accgcacaga taataaaact tcttcccttc gcagccgctc caccaaagca aagtagaatg 1920cagttctcct catttactgt gaatgtgagg ggatcaggaa tgagaatact tgtaaggggc 1980aattctcctg tattcaacta taacaaggcc acgaagagac tcacagttct cggaaaggat 2040gctggcactt taactgaaga cccagatgaa ggcacagctg gagtggagtc cgctgttctg 2100aggggattcc tcattctggg caaagaagac aagagatatg ggccagcact aagcatcaat 2160gaactgagca accttgcgaa aggagagaag gctaatgtgc taattgggca aggagacgtg 2220gtgttggtaa tgaaacggaa acgggactct agcatactta ctgacagcca gacagcgacc 2280aaaagaattc ggatggccat caattagtgt cgaatagttt aaaaacgacc ttgtttctac 2340t 2341121565DNAUnknownInfluenza 12agcaaaagca gggtagataa tcactcactg agtgacatca aaatcatggc gtctcaaggc 60accaaacgat cttacgaaca gatggagact gatggagaac gccagaatgc cactgaaatc 120agagcatccg tcggaaaaat gattggtgga attggacgat tctacatcca aatgtgcacc 180gaactcaaac tcagtgatta tgagggacgg ttgatccaaa acagcttaac aatagagaga 240atggtgctct ctgcttttga cgaaaggaga aataaatacc ttgaagaaca tcccagtgcg 300ggaaaagatc ctaagaaaac tggaggacct atatacagga gagtaaacgg aaagtggatg 360agagaactca tcctttatga caaagaagaa ataaggcgaa tctggcgcca agctaataat 420ggtgacgatg caacggctgg tctgactcac atgatgatct ggcattccaa tttgaatgat 480gcaacttatc agaggacaag agctcttgtt cgcaccggaa tggatcccag gatgtgctct 540ctgatgcaag gttcaactct ccctaggagg tctggagccg caggtgctgc agtcaaagga 600gttggaacaa tggtgatgga attggtcaga atgatcaaac gtgggatcaa tgatcggaac 660ttctggaggg gtgagaatgg acgaaaaaca agaattgctt atgaaagaat gtgcaacatt 720ctcaaaggga aatttcaaac tgctgcacaa aaagcaatga tggatcaagt gagagagagc 780cggaacccag ggaatgctga gttcgaagat ctcacttttc tagcacggtc tgcactcata 840ttgagagggt cggttgctca caagtcctgc ctgcctgcct gtgtgtatgg acctgccgta 900gccagtgggt acgactttga aagggaggga tactctctag tcggaataga ccctttcaga 960ctgcttcaaa acagccaagt gtacagccta atcagaccaa atgagaatcc agcacacaag 1020agtcaactgg tgtggatggc atgccattct gccgcatttg aagatctaag agtattaagc 1080ttcatcaaag ggacgaaggt gctcccaaga gggaagcttt ccactagagg agttcaaatt 1140gcttccaatg aaaatatgga gactatggaa tcaagtacac ttgaactgag aagcaggtac 1200tgggccataa ggaccagaag tggaggaaac accaatcaac agagggcatc tgcgggccaa 1260atcagcatac aacctacgtt ctcagtacag agaaatctcc cttttgacag aacaaccatt 1320atggcagcat tcaatgggaa tacagagggg agaacatctg acatgaggac cgaaatcata 1380aggatgatgg aaagtgcaag accagaagat gtgtctttcc aggggcgggg agtcttcgag 1440ctctcggacg aaaaggcagc gagcccgatc gtgccttcct ttgacatgag taatgaagga 1500tcttatttct tcggagacaa tgcagaggag tacgacaatt aaagaaaaat acccttgttt 1560ctact 1565131027DNAUnknownInfluenza 13agcaaaagca ggtagatatt gaaagatgag tcttctaacc gaggtcgaaa cgtacgtact 60ctctatcatc ccgtcaggcc ccctcaaagc cgagatcgca cagagacttg aagatgtctt 120tgcagggaag aacaccgatc ttgaggttct catggaatgg ctaaagacaa gaccaatcct 180gtcacctctg actaagggga ttttaggatt tgtgttcacg ctcaccgtgc ccagtgagcg 240aggactgcag cgtagacgct ttgtccaaaa tgcccttaat gggaacgggg atccaaataa 300catggacaaa gcagttaaac tgtataggaa gctcaagagg gagataacat tccatggggc 360caaagaaatc tcactcagtt attctgctgg tgcacttgcc agttgtatgg gcctcatata 420caacaggatg ggggctgtga ccactgaagt ggcatttggc ctggtatgtg caacctgtga 480acagattgct gactcccagc atcggtctca taggcaaatg gtgacaacaa ccaatccact 540aatcagacat gagaacagaa tggttttagc cagcactaca gctaaggcta tggagcaaat 600ggctggatcg agtgagcaag cagcagaggc catggaggtt gctagtcagg ctagacaaat 660ggtgcaagcg atgagaacca ttgggactca tcctagctcc agtgctggtc tgaaaaatga 720tcttcttgaa aatttgcagg cctatcagaa acgaatgggg gtgcagatgc aacggttcaa 780gtgatcctct cactattgcc gcaaatatca ttgggatctt gcacttgaca ttgtggattc 840ttgatcgtct ttttttcaaa tgcatttacc gtcgctttaa atacggactg aaaggagggc 900cttctacgga aggagtgcca aagtctatga gggaagaata tcgaaaggaa cagcagagtg 960ctgtggatgc tgacgatggt cattttgtca gcatagagct ggagtaaaaa actaccttgt 1020ttctact 102714890DNAUnknownInfluenza 14agcaaaagca gggtgacaaa aacataatgg atccaaacac tgtgtcaagc tttcaggtag 60attgctttct ttggcatgtc cgcaaacgag ttgcagacca agaactaggt gatgccccat 120tccttgatcg gcttcgccga gatcagaaat ccctaagagg aaggggcagt actctcggtc 180tggacatcaa gacagccaca cgtgctggaa agcagatagt ggagcggatt ctgaaagaag 240aatccgatga ggcacttaaa atgaccatgg cctctgtacc tgcgtcgcgt tacctaactg 300acatgactct tgaggaaatg tcaagggact ggtccatgct catacccaag cagaaagtgg 360caggccctct ttgtatcaga atggaccagg cgatcatgga taagaacatc atactgaaag 420cgaacttcag tgtgattttt gaccggctgg agactctaat attgctaagg gctttcaccg 480aagagggagc aattgttggc gaaatttcac cattgccttc tcttccagga catactgctg 540aggatgtcaa aaatgcagtt ggagtcctca tcggaggact tgaatggaat gataacacag 600ttcgagtctc tgaaactcta cagagattcg cttggagaag cagtaatgag aatgggagac 660ctccactcac tccaaaacag aaacgagaaa tggcgggaac aattaggtca gaagtttgaa 720gaaataagat ggttgattga agaagtgaga cacaaactga agataacaga gaatagtttt 780gagcaaataa catttatgca agccttacat ctattgcttg aagtggagca agagataaga 840actttctcgt ttcagcttat ttagtactaa aaaacaccct tgtttctact 89015716PRTUnknownInfluenza Virus Reassortment 15Met Glu Asp Phe Val Arg Gln Cys Phe Asn Pro Met Ile Val Glu Leu1 5 10 15Ala Glu Lys Ala Met Lys Glu Tyr Gly Glu Asp Pro Lys Ile Glu Thr 20 25 30Asn Lys Phe Ala Ala Ile Cys Thr His Leu Glu Val Cys Phe Met Tyr 35 40 45Ser Asp Phe His Phe Ile Asp Glu Arg Gly Glu Ser Ile Ile Val Glu 50 55 60Ser Gly Asp Pro Asn Ala Leu Leu Lys His Arg Phe Glu Ile Ile Glu65 70 75 80Gly Arg Asp Arg Ile Met Ala Trp Thr Val Val Asn Ser Ile Cys Asn 85 90 95Thr Thr Gly Val Glu Lys Pro Lys Phe Leu Pro Asp Leu Tyr Asp Tyr 100 105 110Lys Glu Asn Arg Phe Ile Glu Ile Gly Val Thr Arg Arg Glu Val His 115 120 125Ile Tyr Tyr Leu Glu Lys Ala Asn Lys Ile Lys Ser Glu Lys Thr His 130 135 140Ile His Ile Phe Ser Phe Thr Gly Glu Glu Met Ala Thr Lys Ala Asp145 150 155 160Tyr Thr Leu Asp Glu Glu Ser Arg Ala Arg Ile Lys Thr Arg Leu Phe 165 170 175Thr Ile Arg Gln Glu Met Ala Ser Arg Ser Leu Trp Asp Ser Phe Arg 180 185 190Gln Ser Glu Arg Gly Glu Glu Thr Ile Glu Glu Lys Phe Glu Ile Thr 195 200 205Gly Thr Met Arg Lys Leu Ala Asp Gln Ser Leu Pro Pro Asn Phe Pro 210 215 220Ser Leu Glu Asn Phe Arg Ala Tyr Val Asp Gly Phe Glu Pro Asn Gly225 230 235 240Cys Ile Glu Gly Lys Leu Ser Gln Met Ser Lys Glu Val Asn Ala Lys 245 250 255Ile Glu Pro Phe Leu Arg Thr Thr Pro Arg Pro Leu Arg Leu Pro Asp 260 265 270Gly Pro Leu Cys His Gln Arg Ser Lys Phe Leu Leu Met Asp Ala Leu 275 280 285Lys Leu Ser Ile Glu Asp Pro Ser His Glu Gly Glu Gly Ile Pro Leu 290 295 300Tyr Asp Ala Ile Lys Cys Met Lys Thr Phe Phe Gly Trp Lys Glu Pro305 310 315 320Asn Ile Val Lys Pro His Glu Lys Gly Ile Asn Pro Asn Tyr Leu Met 325 330 335Ala Trp Lys Gln Val Leu Ala Glu Leu Gln Asp Ile Glu Asn Glu Glu 340 345 350Lys Ile Pro Arg Thr Lys Asn Met Lys Arg Thr Ser Gln Leu Lys Trp 355 360 365Ala Leu Gly Glu Asn Met Ala Pro Glu Lys Val Asp Phe Asp Asp Cys 370 375 380Lys Asp Val Gly Asp Leu Lys Gln Tyr Asp Ser Asp Glu Pro Glu Pro385 390 395 400Arg Ser Leu Ala Ser Trp Val Gln Asn Glu Phe Asn Lys Ala Cys Glu 405 410 415Leu Thr Asp Ser Ser Trp Ile Glu Leu Asp Glu Ile Gly Glu Asp Val 420 425 430Ala Pro Ile Glu His Ile Ala Ser Met Arg Arg Asn Tyr Phe Thr Ala 435 440 445Glu Val Ser His Cys Arg Ala Thr Glu Tyr Ile Met Lys Gly Val Tyr 450 455 460Ile Asn Thr Ala Leu Leu Asn Ala Ser Cys Ala Ala Met Asp Asp Phe465 470 475 480Gln Leu Ile Pro Met Ile Ser Lys Cys Arg Thr Lys Glu Gly Arg Arg 485 490 495Lys Thr Asn Leu Tyr Gly Phe Ile Ile Lys Gly Arg Ser His Leu Arg 500 505 510Asn Asp Thr Asp Val Val Asn Phe Val Ser Met Glu Phe Ser Leu Thr 515 520 525Asp Pro Arg Leu Glu Pro His Lys Trp Glu Lys Tyr Cys Val Leu Glu 530 535 540Ile Gly Asp Met Leu Leu Arg Thr Ala Ile Gly Gln Val Ser Arg Pro545 550 555 560Met Phe Leu Tyr Val Arg Thr Asn Gly Thr Ser Lys Ile Lys Met Lys 565 570 575Trp Gly Met Glu Met Arg Arg Cys Leu Leu Gln Ser Leu Gln Gln Ile 580 585 590Glu Ser Met Ile Glu Ala Glu Ser Ser Val Lys Glu Lys Asp Met Thr 595 600 605Lys Glu Phe Phe Glu Asn Lys Ser Glu Thr Trp Pro Ile Gly Glu Ser 610 615 620Pro Arg Gly Val Glu Glu Gly Ser Ile Gly Lys Val Cys Arg Thr Leu625 630 635 640Leu Ala Lys Ser Val Phe Asn Ser Leu Tyr Ala Ser Pro Gln Leu Glu 645 650 655Gly Phe Ser Ala Glu Ser Arg Lys Leu Leu Leu Ile Val Gln Ala Leu 660 665 670Arg Asp Asn Leu Glu Pro Gly Thr Phe Asp Leu Gly Gly Leu Tyr Glu 675 680 685Ala Ile Glu Glu Cys Leu Ile Asn Asp Pro Trp Val Leu Leu Asn Ala 690 695 700Ser Trp Phe Asn Ser Phe Leu Thr His Ala Leu Lys705 710 71516757PRTUnknownInfluenza 16Met Asp Val Asn Pro Thr Leu Leu Phe Leu Lys Ile Pro Ala Gln Asn1 5 10 15Ala Ile Ser Thr Thr Phe Pro Tyr Thr Gly Asp Pro Pro Tyr Ser His 20 25 30Gly Thr Gly Thr Gly Tyr Thr Met Asp Thr Val Asn Arg Thr His Gln 35 40 45Tyr Ser Glu Lys Gly Lys Trp Thr Thr Asn Thr Glu Thr Gly Ala Pro 50 55 60Gln Leu Asn Pro Ile Asp Gly Pro Leu Pro Glu Asp Asn Glu Pro Ser65 70 75 80Gly Tyr Ala Gln Thr Asp Cys Val Leu Glu Ala Met Ala Phe Leu Glu 85 90 95Glu Ser His Pro Gly Ile Phe Glu Asn Ser Cys Leu Glu Thr Met Glu 100 105 110Val Val Gln Gln Thr Arg Val Asp Lys Leu Thr Gln Gly Arg Gln Thr 115 120 125Tyr Asp Trp Thr Leu Asn Arg Asn Gln Pro Ala Ala Thr Ala Leu Ala 130 135 140Asn Thr Ile Glu Val Phe Arg Ser Asn Gly Leu Thr Ala Asn Glu Ser145 150 155 160Gly Arg Leu Ile Asp Phe Leu Lys Asp Val Met Glu Ser Met Asn Lys 165 170 175Glu Glu Ile Glu Ile Thr Thr His Phe Gln Arg Lys Arg Arg Val Arg 180 185 190Asp Asn Met Thr Lys Lys Met Val Thr Gln Arg Thr Ile Gly Lys Lys 195 200 205Lys Gln Arg Leu Asn Lys Arg Gly Tyr Leu Ile Arg Ala Leu Thr Leu 210 215 220Asn Thr Met Thr Lys Asp Ala Glu Arg Gly Lys Leu Lys Arg Arg Ala225 230 235 240Ile Ala Thr Pro Gly Met Gln Ile Arg Gly Phe Val Tyr Phe Val Glu 245 250 255Thr Leu Ala Arg Ser Ile Cys Glu Lys Leu Glu Gln Ser Gly Leu Pro 260 265 270Val Gly Gly Asn Glu Lys Lys Ala Lys Leu Ala Asn Val Val Arg Lys 275 280 285Met Met Thr Asn Ser Gln Asp Thr Glu Ile Ser Phe Thr Ile Thr Gly 290 295 300Asp Asn Thr Lys Trp Asn Glu Asn Gln Asn Pro Arg Met Phe Leu Ala305 310 315 320Met Ile Thr Tyr Ile Thr Arg Asn Gln Pro Glu Trp Phe Arg Asn Ile 325 330 335Leu Ser Met Ala Pro Ile Met Phe Ser Asn Lys Met Ala Arg Leu Gly 340 345 350Lys Gly Tyr Met Phe Glu Ser Lys Arg Met Lys Ile Arg Thr Gln Ile 355 360 365Pro Ala Glu Met Leu Ala Ser Ile Asp Leu Lys Tyr Phe Asn Glu Ser 370 375 380Thr Lys Lys Lys Ile Glu Lys Ile Arg Pro Leu Leu Ile Asp Gly Thr385 390 395 400Ala Ser Leu Ser Pro Gly Met Met Met Gly Met Phe Asn Met Leu Ser 405 410 415Thr Val Leu Gly Val Ser Ile Leu Asn Leu Gly Gln Lys Lys Tyr Thr 420 425 430Lys Thr Ile Tyr Trp Trp Asp Gly Leu Gln Ser Ser Asp Asp Phe Ala 435 440 445Leu Ile Val Asn Ala Pro Asn His Glu Gly Ile Gln Ala Gly Val Asp 450 455 460Arg Phe Tyr Arg Thr Cys Lys Leu Val Gly Ile Asn Met Ser Lys Lys465 470 475 480Lys Ser Tyr Ile Asn Lys Thr Gly Thr Phe Glu Phe Thr Ser Phe Phe 485 490 495Tyr Arg Tyr Gly Phe Val Ala Asn Phe Ser Met Glu Leu Pro Ser Phe 500 505 510Gly Val Ser Gly Val Asn Glu Ser Ala Asp Met Ser Ile Gly Val Thr 515 520 525Val Ile Lys Asn Asn Met Ile Asn Asn Asp Leu Gly Pro Ala Thr Ala 530 535 540Gln Met Ala Leu Gln Leu Phe Ile Lys Asp Tyr Arg Tyr Thr Tyr Arg545 550 555 560Cys His Arg Gly Asp Thr Gln Ile Gln Thr Arg Arg Ser Phe Glu Leu 565 570 575Lys Lys Leu Trp Asp Gln Thr Gln Ser Lys Val Gly Leu Leu Val Ser 580 585 590Asp Gly Gly Pro Asn Leu Tyr Asn Ile Arg Asn Leu His Ile Pro Glu 595 600 605Val Cys Leu Lys Trp Glu Leu Met Asp Asp Asp Tyr Arg Gly Arg Leu 610 615 620Cys Asn Pro Leu Asn Pro Phe Val Ser His Lys Glu Ile Asp Ser Val625 630 635 640Asn Asn Ala Val Val Met Pro Ala His Gly Pro Ala Lys Ser Met Glu 645 650 655Tyr Asp Ala Val Ala Thr Thr His Ser Trp Ile Pro Lys Arg Asn Arg

660 665 670Ser Ile Leu Asn Thr Ser Gln Arg Gly Ile Leu Glu Asp Glu Gln Met 675 680 685Tyr Gln Lys Cys Cys Asn Leu Phe Glu Lys Phe Phe Pro Ser Ser Ser 690 695 700Tyr Arg Arg Pro Val Gly Ile Ser Ser Met Val Glu Ala Met Val Ser705 710 715 720Arg Ala Arg Ile Asp Ala Arg Val Asp Phe Glu Ser Gly Arg Ile Lys 725 730 735Lys Glu Glu Phe Ser Glu Ile Met Lys Ile Cys Ser Thr Ile Glu Glu 740 745 750Leu Arg Arg Gln Lys 75517759PRTUnknownInfluenza 17Met Glu Arg Ile Lys Glu Leu Arg Asp Leu Met Ser Gln Ser Arg Thr1 5 10 15Arg Glu Ile Leu Thr Lys Thr Thr Val Asp His Met Ala Ile Ile Lys 20 25 30Lys Tyr Thr Ser Gly Arg Gln Glu Lys Asn Pro Ala Leu Arg Met Lys 35 40 45Trp Met Met Ala Met Arg Tyr Pro Ile Thr Ala Asp Lys Arg Ile Met 50 55 60Asp Met Ile Pro Glu Arg Asn Glu Gln Gly Gln Thr Leu Trp Ser Lys65 70 75 80Thr Asn Asp Ala Gly Ser Asp Arg Val Met Val Ser Pro Leu Ala Val 85 90 95Thr Trp Trp Asn Arg Asn Gly Pro Thr Thr Ser Thr Val His Tyr Pro 100 105 110Lys Val Tyr Lys Thr Tyr Phe Glu Lys Val Glu Arg Leu Lys His Gly 115 120 125Thr Phe Gly Pro Val His Phe Arg Asn Gln Val Lys Ile Arg Arg Arg 130 135 140Val Asp Thr Asn Pro Gly His Ala Asp Leu Ser Ala Lys Glu Ala Gln145 150 155 160Asp Val Ile Met Glu Val Val Phe Pro Asn Glu Val Gly Ala Arg Ile 165 170 175Leu Thr Ser Glu Ser Gln Leu Ala Ile Thr Lys Glu Lys Lys Glu Glu 180 185 190Leu Gln Asp Cys Lys Ile Ala Pro Leu Met Val Ala Tyr Met Leu Glu 195 200 205Arg Glu Leu Val Arg Lys Thr Arg Phe Leu Pro Val Ala Gly Gly Thr 210 215 220Gly Ser Val Tyr Ile Glu Val Leu His Leu Thr Gln Gly Thr Cys Trp225 230 235 240Glu Gln Met Tyr Thr Pro Gly Gly Glu Val Arg Asn Asp Asp Val Asp 245 250 255Gln Ser Leu Ile Ile Ala Ala Arg Asn Ile Val Arg Arg Ala Ala Val 260 265 270Ser Ala Asp Pro Leu Ala Ser Leu Leu Glu Met Cys His Ser Thr Gln 275 280 285Ile Gly Gly Val Arg Met Val Asp Ile Leu Arg Gln Asn Pro Thr Glu 290 295 300Glu Gln Ala Val Asp Ile Cys Lys Ala Ala Ile Gly Leu Arg Ile Ser305 310 315 320Ser Ser Phe Ser Phe Gly Gly Phe Thr Phe Lys Arg Thr Ser Gly Ser 325 330 335Ser Val Lys Lys Glu Glu Glu Val Leu Thr Gly Asn Leu Gln Thr Leu 340 345 350Lys Ile Arg Val His Glu Gly Tyr Glu Glu Phe Thr Met Val Gly Arg 355 360 365Arg Ala Thr Ala Ile Leu Arg Lys Ala Thr Arg Arg Leu Ile Gln Leu 370 375 380Ile Val Ser Gly Arg Asp Glu Gln Ser Ile Ala Glu Ala Ile Ile Val385 390 395 400Ala Met Val Phe Ser Gln Glu Asp Cys Met Ile Lys Ala Val Arg Gly 405 410 415Asp Leu Asn Phe Val Asn Arg Ala Asn Gln Arg Leu Asn Pro Met His 420 425 430Gln Leu Leu Arg His Phe Gln Lys Asp Ala Lys Val Leu Phe Gln Asn 435 440 445Trp Gly Ile Glu Ser Ile Asp Asn Val Met Gly Met Ile Gly Ile Leu 450 455 460Pro Asp Met Thr Pro Ser Thr Glu Met Ser Leu Arg Gly Ile Arg Val465 470 475 480Ser Lys Met Gly Val Asp Glu Tyr Ser Ser Thr Glu Arg Val Val Val 485 490 495Ser Ile Asp Arg Phe Leu Arg Val Arg Asp Gln Arg Gly Asn Val Leu 500 505 510Leu Ser Pro Glu Glu Val Ser Glu Thr Gln Gly Thr Glu Lys Leu Thr 515 520 525Ile Thr Tyr Ser Ser Ser Met Met Trp Glu Ile Asn Gly Pro Glu Ser 530 535 540Val Leu Val Asn Thr Tyr Gln Trp Ile Ile Arg Asn Trp Glu Ile Val545 550 555 560Lys Ile Gln Trp Ser Gln Asp Pro Thr Met Leu Tyr Asn Lys Met Glu 565 570 575Phe Glu Pro Phe Gln Ser Leu Val Pro Lys Ala Thr Arg Ser Arg Tyr 580 585 590Ser Gly Phe Val Arg Thr Leu Phe Gln Gln Met Arg Asp Val Leu Gly 595 600 605Thr Phe Asp Thr Val Gln Ile Ile Lys Leu Leu Pro Phe Ala Ala Ala 610 615 620Pro Pro Glu Gln Ser Arg Met Gln Phe Ser Ser Leu Thr Val Asn Val625 630 635 640Arg Gly Ser Gly Leu Arg Ile Leu Val Arg Gly Asn Ser Pro Val Phe 645 650 655Asn Tyr Asn Lys Ala Thr Lys Arg Leu Thr Val Leu Gly Lys Asp Ala 660 665 670Gly Ala Leu Thr Glu Asp Pro Asp Glu Gly Thr Ser Gly Val Glu Ser 675 680 685Ala Val Leu Arg Gly Phe Leu Ile Leu Gly Lys Glu Asp Lys Arg Tyr 690 695 700Gly Pro Ala Leu Ser Ile Asn Glu Leu Ser Asn Leu Ala Lys Gly Glu705 710 715 720Lys Ala Asn Val Leu Ile Gly Gln Gly Asp Val Val Leu Val Met Lys 725 730 735Arg Lys Arg Asp Ser Ser Ile Leu Thr Asp Ser Gln Thr Ala Thr Lys 740 745 750Arg Ile Arg Met Ala Ile Asn 75518319PRTUnknownInfluenza 18Met Ala Ser Gln Gly Thr Lys Arg Ser Tyr Glu Gln Met Glu Thr Gly1 5 10 15Gly Glu Arg Gln Asp Ala Thr Glu Ile Arg Ala Ser Val Gly Arg Met 20 25 30Ile Gly Gly Ile Gly Arg Phe Tyr Ile Gln Met Cys Thr Glu Leu Lys 35 40 45Leu Ser Asp Tyr Asp Gly Arg Leu Ile Gln Asn Ser Ile Thr Ile Glu 50 55 60Arg Met Val Leu Ser Ala Phe Asp Glu Arg Arg Asn Lys Tyr Leu Glu65 70 75 80Glu His Pro Ser Ala Gly Lys Asp Pro Lys Lys Thr Gly Gly Pro Ile 85 90 95Tyr Arg Arg Val Asp Gly Lys Trp Met Arg Glu Leu Ile Leu Tyr Asp 100 105 110Lys Glu Glu Ile Arg Arg Val Trp Arg Gln Ala Asn Asn Gly Glu Asp 115 120 125Ala Thr Ala Gly Leu Thr His Ile Met Ile Trp His Ser Asn Leu Asn 130 135 140Asp Ala Thr Tyr Gln Arg Thr Arg Ala Leu Val Arg Thr Gly Met Asp145 150 155 160Pro Arg Met Cys Ser Leu Met Gln Gly Ser Thr Leu Pro Arg Arg Ser 165 170 175Gly Ala Ala Gly Ala Ala Val Lys Gly Val Gly Thr Ile Ala Met Glu 180 185 190Leu Ile Arg Met Ile Lys Arg Gly Ile Asn Asp Arg Asn Phe Trp Arg 195 200 205Gly Glu Asn Gly Arg Arg Thr Arg Val Ala Tyr Glu Arg Met Cys Asn 210 215 220Ile Leu Lys Gly Lys Phe Gln Thr Ala Ala Gln Arg Ala Met Met Asp225 230 235 240Gln Val Arg Glu Ser Arg Asn Pro Gly Asn Ala Glu Ile Glu Asp Leu 245 250 255Ile Phe Leu Ala Arg Ser Ala Leu Ile Leu Arg Gly Ser Val Ala His 260 265 270Lys Ser Cys Leu Pro Ala Cys Val Tyr Gly Leu Ala Val Ala Ser Gly 275 280 285His Asp Phe Glu Arg Glu Gly Tyr Ser Leu Val Gly Ile Asp Pro Phe 290 295 300Lys Leu Leu Gln Asn Ser Gln Val Val Ser Leu Met Arg Pro Asn305 310 31519252PRTUnknownInfluenza 19Met Ser Leu Leu Thr Glu Val Glu Thr Tyr Val Leu Ser Ile Ile Pro1 5 10 15Ser Gly Pro Leu Lys Ala Glu Ile Ala Gln Arg Leu Glu Ser Val Phe 20 25 30Ala Gly Lys Asn Thr Asp Leu Glu Ala Leu Met Glu Trp Leu Lys Thr 35 40 45Arg Pro Ile Leu Ser Pro Leu Thr Lys Gly Ile Leu Gly Phe Val Phe 50 55 60Thr Leu Thr Val Pro Ser Glu Arg Gly Leu Gln Arg Arg Arg Phe Val65 70 75 80Gln Asn Ala Leu Asn Gly Asn Gly Asp Pro Asn Asn Met Asp Arg Ala 85 90 95Val Lys Leu Tyr Lys Lys Leu Lys Arg Glu Ile Thr Phe His Gly Ala 100 105 110Lys Glu Val Ser Leu Ser Tyr Ser Thr Gly Ala Leu Ala Ser Cys Met 115 120 125Gly Leu Ile Tyr Asn Arg Met Gly Thr Val Thr Thr Glu Ala Ala Phe 130 135 140Gly Leu Val Cys Ala Thr Cys Glu Gln Ile Ala Asp Ser Gln His Arg145 150 155 160Ser His Arg Gln Met Ala Thr Thr Thr Asn Pro Leu Ile Arg His Glu 165 170 175Asn Arg Met Val Leu Ala Ser Thr Thr Ala Lys Ala Met Glu Gln Met 180 185 190Ala Gly Ser Ser Glu Gln Ala Ala Glu Ala Met Glu Val Ala Asn Gln 195 200 205Thr Arg Gln Met Val His Ala Met Arg Thr Ile Gly Thr His Pro Ser 210 215 220Ser Ser Ala Gly Leu Lys Asp Asp Leu Leu Glu Asn Leu Gln Ala Tyr225 230 235 240Gln Lys Arg Met Gly Val Gln Met Gln Arg Phe Lys 245 25020219PRTUnknownInfluenza 20Met Asp Ser Asn Thr Met Ser Ser Phe Gln Val Asp Cys Phe Leu Trp1 5 10 15His Ile Arg Lys Arg Phe Ala Asp Asn Gly Leu Gly Asp Ala Pro Phe 20 25 30Leu Asp Arg Leu Arg Arg Asp Gln Lys Ser Leu Lys Gly Arg Gly Asn 35 40 45Thr Leu Gly Leu Asp Ile Glu Thr Ala Thr Leu Val Gly Lys Gln Ile 50 55 60Val Glu Trp Ile Leu Lys Glu Glu Ser Ser Glu Thr Leu Arg Met Thr65 70 75 80Ile Ala Ser Val Pro Thr Ser Arg Tyr Leu Ser Asp Met Thr Leu Glu 85 90 95Glu Met Ser Arg Asp Trp Phe Met Leu Met Pro Arg Gln Lys Ile Ile 100 105 110Gly Pro Leu Cys Val Arg Leu Asp Gln Ala Ile Met Glu Lys Asn Ile 115 120 125Val Leu Lys Ala Asn Phe Ser Val Ile Phe Asn Arg Leu Glu Thr Leu 130 135 140Ile Leu Leu Arg Ala Phe Thr Glu Glu Gly Ala Ile Val Gly Glu Ile145 150 155 160Ser Pro Leu Pro Ser Leu Pro Gly His Thr Tyr Glu Asp Val Lys Asn 165 170 175Ala Val Gly Val Leu Ile Gly Gly Leu Glu Trp Asn Gly Asn Thr Val 180 185 190Arg Val Ser Glu Asn Ile Gln Arg Phe Ala Trp Arg Asn Cys Asp Glu 195 200 205Asn Gly Arg Pro Ser Leu Pro Pro Glu Gln Lys 210 215212151DNAUnknownInfluenza 21atggaagact ttgtgcgaca atgcttcaat ccaatgatcg tcgagcttgc ggaaaaggca 60atgaaagaat atggggaaga tccgaaaatc gaaactaaca agtttgctgc aatatgcaca 120catttggaag tttgtttcat gtattcggat ttccatttca tcgacgaacg gggtgaatca 180ataattgtag aatctggtga cccgaatgca ctattgaagc accgatttga gataattgaa 240ggaagagacc gaatcatggc ctggacagtg gtgaacagta tatgtaacac aacaggggta 300gagaagccta aatttcttcc tgatttgtat gattacaaag agaaccggtt cattgaaatt 360ggagtaacac ggagggaagt ccacatatat tacctagaga aagccaacaa aataaaatct 420gagaagacac acattcacat cttttcattc actggagagg agatggccac caaagcggac 480tacacccttg acgaagagag cagggcaaga atcaaaacta ggcttttcac tataagacaa 540gaaatggcca gtaggagtct atgggattcc tttcgtcagt ccgaaagagg cgaagagaca 600attgaagaaa aatttgagat tacaggaact atgcgcaagc ttgccgacca aagtctccca 660ccgaacttcc ccagccttga aaactttaga gcctatgtag atggattcga gccgaacggc 720tgcattgagg gcaagctttc ccaaatgtca aaagaagtga acgccaaaat tgaaccattc 780ttgaggacga caccacgccc cctcagattg cctgatgggc ctctttgcca tcagcggtca 840aagttcctgc tgatggatgc tctgaaatta agtattgaag acccgagtca cgagggggag 900ggaataccac tatatgatgc aatcaaatgc atgaagacat tctttggctg gaaagagcct 960aacatagtca aaccacatga gaaaggcata aatcccaatt acctcatggc ttggaagcag 1020gtgctagcag agctacagga cattgaaaat gaagagaaga tcccaaggac aaagaacatg 1080aagagaacaa gccaattgaa gtgggcactc ggtgaaaata tggcaccaga aaaagtagac 1140tttgatgact gcaaagatgt tggagacctt aaacagtatg acagtgatga gccagagccc 1200agatctctag caagctgggt ccaaaatgaa ttcaataagg catgtgaatt gactgattca 1260agctggatag aacttgatga aataggagaa gatgttgccc cgattgaaca tatcgcaagc 1320atgaggagga actattttac agcagaagtg tcccactgca gggctactga atacataatg 1380aagggagtgt acataaatac ggccttgctc aatgcatcct gtgcagccat ggatgacttt 1440cagctgatcc caatgataag caaatgtagg accaaagaag gaagacggaa aacaaacctg 1500tatgggttca ttataaaagg aaggtctcat ttgagaaatg atactgatgt ggtgaacttt 1560gtaagtatgg agttctcact cactgacccg agactggagc cacacaaatg ggaaaaatac 1620tgtgttcttg aaataggaga catgctcttg aggactgcga taggccaagt gtcgaggccc 1680atgttcctat atgtgagaac caatggaacc tccaagatca agatgaaatg gggcatggaa 1740atgaggcgct gccttcttca gtctcttcag cagattgaga gcatgattga ggccgagtct 1800tctgtcaaag agaaagacat gaccaaggaa ttctttgaaa acaaatcgga aacatggcca 1860atcggagagt cacccagggg agtggaggaa ggctctattg ggaaagtgtg caggacctta 1920ctggcaaaat ctgtattcaa cagtctatat gcgtctccac aacttgaggg gttttcggct 1980gaatctagaa aattgcttct cattgttcag gcacttaggg acaacctgga acctggaacc 2040ttcgatcttg gggggctata tgaagcaatc gaggagtgcc tgattaatga tccctgggtt 2100ttgcttaatg catcttggtt caactccttc ctcacacatg cactgaagta g 2151222341DNAUnknownInfluenza 22agcgaaagca ggcaaaccat ttgaatggat gtcaatccga ctctactttt cctaaaaatt 60ccagcgcaaa atgccataag caccacattc ccttatactg gagatcctcc atacagccat 120ggaacaggaa caggatacac catggacaca gtaaacagaa cacaccaata ctcagaaaag 180ggaaagtgga cgacaaacac agagactggt gcaccccagc tcaacccgat tgatggacca 240ctacctgagg ataatgaacc aagtgggtat gcacaaacag actgtgttct agaggctatg 300gctttccttg aagaatccca cccaggaata tttgagaatt catgccttga aacaatggaa 360gttgttcaac aaacaagggt agataaacta actcaaggtc gccagactta tgattggaca 420ttaaacagaa atcaaccggc agcaactgca ttggccaaca ccatagaagt ctttagatcg 480aatggcctaa cagctaatga gtcaggaagg ctaatagatt tcttaaagga tgtaatggaa 540tcaatgaaca aagaggaaat agagataaca acccactttc aaagaaaaag gagagtaaga 600gacaacatga ccaagaagat ggtcacgcaa agaacaatag ggaagaaaaa acaaagactg 660aataagagag gctatctaat aagagcactg acattaaata cgatgaccaa agatgcagag 720agaggcaagt taaaaagaag ggctatcgca acacctggga tgcagattag aggtttcgta 780tactttgttg aaactttagc taggagcatt tgcgaaaagc ttgaacagtc tgggctccca 840gtagggggca atgaaaagaa ggccaaactg gcaaatgttg tgagaaagat gatgactaat 900tcacaagaca cagagatttc tttcacaatc actggggaca acactaagtg gaatgaaaat 960caaaatcctc gaatgttcct ggcgatgatt acatatatca ccagaaatca acccgagtgg 1020ttcagaaaca tcctgagcat ggcacccata atgttctcaa acaaaatggc aagactaggg 1080aaagggtaca tgttcgagag taaaagaatg aagattcgaa cacaaatacc agcagaaatg 1140ctagcaagca ttgacctgaa gtacttcaat gaatcaacaa agaagaaaat tgagaaaata 1200aggcctcttc taatagatgg cacagcatca ctgagtcctg ggatgatgat gggcatgttc 1260aacatgctaa gtacggtctt gggagtctcg atactgaatc ttggacaaaa gaaatacacc 1320aagacaatat actggtggga tgggctccaa tcatccgacg attttgctct catagtgaat 1380gcaccaaacc atgagggaat acaagcagga gtggacagat tctacaggac ctgcaagtta 1440gtgggaatca acatgagcaa aaagaagtcc tatataaata agacagggac atttgaattc 1500acaagctttt tttatcgcta tggatttgtg gctaatttta gcatggagct acccagcttt 1560ggagtgtctg gagtaaatga atcagctgac atgagtattg gagtaacagt gataaagaac 1620aacatgataa acaatgacct tggacctgca acggcccaga tggctcttca attgttcatc 1680aaagactaca gatacacata taggtgccat aggggagaca cacaaattca gacaagaaga 1740tcatttgagt taaagaagct gtgggatcaa acccaatcaa aggtagggct attagtatca 1800gatggaggac caaacttata caatatacgg aatcttcaca ttcctgaagt ctgcttaaaa 1860tgggagctaa tggatgatga ttatcgggga agactttgta atcccctgaa tccctttgtc 1920agtcataaag agattgattc tgtaaacaat gctgtggtaa tgccagccca tggtccagcc 1980aaaagcatgg aatatgatgc cgttgcaact acacattcct ggattcccaa gaggaatcgt 2040tctattctca acacaagcca aaggggaatt cttgaggatg aacagatgta ccagaagtgc 2100tgcaatctat tcgagaaatt tttccctagc agttcatata ggagaccggt tggaatttct 2160agcatggtgg aggccatggt gtctagggcc cggattgatg ccagggtcga cttcgagtct 2220ggacggatca agaaagaaga gttctctgag atcatgaaga tctgttccac cattgaagaa 2280ctcagacggc aaaaataatg aatttaactt gtccttcatg aaaaaatgcc ttgtttctac 2340t 2341232280DNAUnknownInfluenza 23atggagagaa taaaagaact gagagatcta atgtcgcagt cccgcactcg cgagatactc 60actaagacca ctgtggacca tatggccata atcaaaaagt acacatcagg aaggcaagag 120aagaaccccg cactcagaat gaagtggatg atggcaatga gatacccaat tacagcagac 180aagagaataa tggacatgat tccagagagg aatgaacaag gacaaaccct ctggagcaaa 240acaaacgatg ctggatcaga ccgagtgatg gtatcacctc tggccgtaac atggtggaat 300aggaatggcc caacaacaag tacagttcat taccctaagg tatataaaac ttatttcgaa

360aaggtcgaaa ggttgaaaca tggtaccttc ggccctgtcc acttcagaaa tcaagttaaa 420ataaggagga gagttgatac aaaccctggc catgcagatc tcagtgccaa ggaggcacag 480gatgtgatta tggaagttgt tttcccaaat gaagtggggg caagaatact gacatcagag 540tcacagctgg caataacaaa agagaagaaa gaagagctcc aggattgtaa aattgctccc 600ttgatggtgg cgtacatgct agaaagagaa ttggtccgta aaacaaggtt tctcccagta 660gccggcggaa caggcagtgt ttatattgaa gtgttgcact taacccaagg gacgtgctgg 720gagcagatgt acactccagg aggagaagtg agaaatgatg atgttgacca aagtttgatt 780atcgctgcta gaaacatagt aagaagagca gcagtgtcag cagacccatt agcatctctc 840ttggaaatgt gccacagcac acagattgga ggagtaagga tggtggacat ccttagacag 900aatccaactg aggaacaagc cgtagacata tgcaaggcag caatagggtt gaggattagc 960tcatctttca gttttggtgg gttcactttc aaaaggacaa gcggatcatc agtcaagaaa 1020gaagaagaag tgctaacggg caacctccaa acactgaaaa taagagtaca tgaagggtat 1080gaagaattca caatggttgg gagaagagca acagctattc tcagaaaggc aaccaggaga 1140ttgatccagt tgatagtaag cgggagagac gagcagtcaa ttgctgaggc aataattgtg 1200gccatggtat tctcacagga ggattgcatg atcaaggcag ttaggggcga tctgaacttt 1260gtcaataggg caaaccagcg actgaacccc atgcaccaac tcttgaggca tttccaaaaa 1320gatgcaaaag tgcttttcca gaactgggga attgaatcca tcgacaatgt gatgggaatg 1380atcggaatac tgcccgacat gaccccaagc acggagatgt cgctgagagg gataagagtc 1440agcaaaatgg gagtagatga atactccagc acggagagag tggtagtgag tattgaccga 1500tttttaaggg ttagagatca aagagggaac gtactattgt ctcccgaaga agtcagtgaa 1560acgcaaggaa ctgagaagtt gacaataact tattcgtcat caatgatgtg ggagatcaat 1620ggccctgagt cagtgctagt caacacttat caatggataa tcaggaactg ggaaattgtg 1680aaaattcaat ggtcacaaga tcccacaatg ttatacaaca aaatggaatt tgaaccattt 1740cagtctcttg tccctaaggc aaccagaagc cggtacagtg gattcgtaag gacactgttc 1800cagcaaatgc gggatgtgct tgggacattt gacactgtcc aaataataaa acttctcccc 1860tttgctgctg ccccaccaga acagagtagg atgcaatttt cctcattgac tgtgaatgtg 1920agaggatcag ggttgaggat actggtaaga ggcaattctc cagtattcaa ttacaacaag 1980gcaaccaaac gacttacagt tcttggaaag gatgcaggtg cattgactga agatccagat 2040gaaggcacat ctggggtgga gtctgctgtc ctgagaggat ttctcatttt gggcaaagaa 2100gacaagagat atggcccagc attaagcatc aatgaactga gcaatcttgc aaaaggagag 2160aaggctaatg tgctaattgg gcaaggggac gtagtgttgg taatgaaacg aaaacgggac 2220tctagcatac ttactgacag ccagacagcg accaaaagaa ttcggatggc catcaattag 228024958DNAUnknownInfluenza 24atggcgtctc aaggcaccaa acgatcatat gaacaaatgg agactggtgg ggagcgccag 60gatgccacag aaatcagagc atctgtcgga agaatgattg gtggaatcgg gagattctac 120atccaaatgt gcactgaact caaactcagt gattatgatg gacgactaat ccagaatagc 180ataacaatag agaggatggt gctttctgct tttgatgaga gaagaaataa atacctagaa 240gagcatccca gtgctgggaa ggaccctaag aaaacaggag gacccatata tagaagagta 300gacggaaagt ggatgagaga actcatcctt tatgacaaag aagaaataag gagagtttgg 360cgccaagcaa acaatggcga agatgcaaca gcaggtctta ctcatatcat gatttggcat 420tccaacctga atgatgccac atatcagaga acaagagcgc ttgttcgcac cggaatggat 480cccagaatgt gctctctaat gcaaggttca acacttccca gaaggtctgg tgccgcaggt 540gctgcggtga aaggagttgg aacaatagca atggagttaa tcagaatgat caaacgtgga 600atcaatgacc gaaatttctg gaggggtgaa aatggacgaa ggacaagggt tgcttatgaa 660agaatgtgca atatcctcaa aggaaaattt caaacagctg cccagagggc aatgatggat 720caagtaagag aaagtcgaaa cccaggaaac gctgagattg aagacctcat tttcctggca 780cggtcagcac tcattctgag gggatcagtt gcacataaat cctgcctgcc tgcttgtgtg 840tatgggcttg cagtagcaag tgggcatgac tttgaaaggg aagggtactc actggtcggg 900atagacccat tcaaattact ccaaaacagc caagtggtca gcctgatgag accaaatg 95825982DNAUnknownInfluenza 25atgagtcttc taaccgaggt cgaaacgtac gttctttcta tcatcccgtc aggccccctc 60aaagccgaga tcgcgcagag actggaaagt gtctttgcag gaaagaacac agatcttgag 120gctctcatgg aatggctaaa gacaagacca atcttgtcac ctctgactaa gggaatttta 180ggatttgtgt tcacgctcac cgtgcccagt gagcgaggac tgcagcgtag acgctttgtc 240caaaatgccc taaatgggaa tggggacccg aacaacatgg atagagcagt taaactatac 300aagaagctca aaagagaaat aacgttccat ggggccaagg aggtgtcact aagctattca 360actggtgcac ttgccagttg catgggcctc atatacaaca ggatgggaac agtgaccaca 420gaagctgctt ttggtctagt gtgtgccact tgtgaacaga ttgctgattc acagcatcgg 480tctcacagac agatggctac taccaccaat ccactaatca ggcatgaaaa cagaatggtg 540ctggctagca ctacggcaaa ggctatggaa cagatggctg gatcgagtga acaggcagcg 600gaggccatgg aggttgctaa tcagactagg cagatggtac atgcaatgag aactattggg 660actcatccta gctccagtgc tggtctgaaa gatgaccttc ttgaaaattt gcaggcctac 720cagaagcgaa tgggagtgca gatgcagcga ttcaagtgat cctctcgtca ttgcagcaaa 780tatcattggg atcttgcacc tgatattgtg gattactgat cgtctttttt tcaaatgtat 840ttatcgtcgc tttaaatacg gtttgaaaag agggccttct acggaaggag tgcctgagtc 900catgagggaa gaatatcaac aggaacagca gagtgctgtg gatgttgacg atggtcattt 960tgtcaacata gagctagagt aa 98226865DNAUnknownInfluenza 26atggactcca acaccatgtc aagctttcag gtagactgtt tcctttggca tatccgcaag 60cgatttgcag acaatggatt gggtgatgcc ccattccttg atcggctccg ccgagatcaa 120aagtccttaa aaggaagagg caacaccctt ggcctcgata tcgaaacagc cactcttgtt 180gggaaacaaa tcgtggaatg gatcttgaaa gaggaatcca gcgagacact tagaatgaca 240attgcatctg tacctacttc gcgctacctt tctgacatga ccctcgagga aatgtcacga 300gactggttca tgctcatgcc taggcaaaag ataataggcc ctctttgcgt gcgattggac 360caggcgatca tggaaaagaa catagtactg aaagcgaact tcagtgtaat ctttaaccga 420ttagagacct tgatactact aagggctttc actgaggagg gagcaatagt tggagaaatt 480tcaccattac cttctcttcc aggacatact tatgaggatg tcaaaaatgc agttggggtc 540ctcatcggag gacttgaatg gaatggtaac acggttcgag tctctgaaaa tatacagaga 600ttcgcttgga gaaactgtga tgagaatggg agaccttcac tacctccaga gcagaaatga 660aaagtggcga gagcaattgg gacagaaatt tgaggaaata aggtggttaa ttgaagaaat 720gcggcacaga ttgaaagcga cagagaatag tttcgaacaa ataacattta tgcaagcctt 780acaactactg cttgaagtag aacaagagat aagagctttc tcgtttcagc ttatttaatg 840ataaaaaaca cccttgtttc tactg 86527758PRTUnknownInfluenza 27Met Asp Val Asn Pro Thr Leu Leu Phe Leu Lys Ile Pro Ala Gln Asn1 5 10 15Ala Ile Ser Thr Thr Phe Pro Tyr Thr Gly Asp Pro Pro Tyr Ser His 20 25 30Gly Thr Gly Thr Gly Tyr Thr Met Asp Thr Val Asn Arg Thr His Gln 35 40 45Tyr Ser Glu Lys Gly Lys Trp Thr Thr Asn Thr Glu Thr Gly Ala Pro 50 55 60Gln Leu Asn Pro Ile Asp Gly Pro Leu Pro Glu Asp Asn Glu Pro Ser65 70 75 80Gly Tyr Ala Gln Thr Asp Cys Val Leu Glu Ala Met Ala Phe Leu Glu 85 90 95Glu Ser His Pro Gly Ile Phe Glu Asn Ser Cys Leu Glu Thr Met Glu 100 105 110Val Val Gln Gln Thr Arg Val Asp Arg Leu Thr Gln Gly Arg Gln Thr 115 120 125Tyr Asp Trp Thr Leu Asn Arg Asn Gln Pro Ala Ala Thr Ala Leu Ala 130 135 140Asn Thr Ile Glu Val Phe Arg Ser Asn Gly Leu Thr Ala Asn Glu Ser145 150 155 160Gly Arg Leu Ile Asp Phe Leu Lys Asp Val Met Glu Ser Met Asp Lys 165 170 175Glu Glu Ile Glu Ile Thr Thr His Phe Gln Arg Lys Arg Arg Val Arg 180 185 190Asp Asn Met Thr Lys Lys Met Val Thr Gln Arg Thr Ile Gly Lys Lys 195 200 205Lys Gln Arg Val Asn Lys Arg Ser Tyr Leu Ile Arg Ala Leu Thr Leu 210 215 220Asn Thr Met Thr Lys Asp Ala Glu Arg Gly Lys Leu Lys Arg Arg Ala225 230 235 240Ile Ala Thr Pro Gly Met Gln Ile Arg Gly Phe Val Tyr Phe Val Glu 245 250 255Thr Leu Ala Arg Ser Ile Cys Glu Lys Leu Glu Gln Ser Gly Leu Pro 260 265 270Val Gly Gly Asn Glu Lys Lys Ala Lys Leu Ala Asn Val Val Arg Lys 275 280 285Met Met Thr Asn Ser Gln Asp Thr Glu Leu Ser Phe Thr Ile Thr Gly 290 295 300Asp Asn Thr Lys Trp Asn Glu Asn Gln Asn Pro Arg Met Phe Leu Ala305 310 315 320Met Ile Thr Tyr Ile Thr Lys Asn Gln Pro Glu Trp Phe Arg Asn Ile 325 330 335Leu Ser Ile Ala Pro Ile Met Phe Ser Asn Lys Met Ala Arg Leu Gly 340 345 350Lys Gly Tyr Met Phe Glu Ser Lys Arg Met Lys Leu Arg Thr Gln Ile 355 360 365Pro Ala Glu Met Leu Ala Ser Ile Asp Leu Lys Tyr Phe Asn Glu Ser 370 375 380Thr Arg Lys Lys Ile Glu Lys Ile Arg Pro Leu Leu Ile Asp Gly Thr385 390 395 400Ala Ser Leu Ser Pro Gly Met Met Met Gly Met Phe Asn Met Leu Ser 405 410 415Thr Val Leu Gly Val Ser Ile Leu Asn Leu Gly Gln Lys Lys Tyr Thr 420 425 430Lys Thr Thr Tyr Trp Trp Asp Gly Leu Gln Ser Ser Asp Asp Phe Ala 435 440 445Leu Ile Val Asn Ala Pro Asn His Glu Gly Ile Gln Ala Gly Val Asp 450 455 460Arg Phe Tyr Arg Thr Cys Lys Leu Val Gly Ile Asn Met Ser Lys Lys465 470 475 480Lys Ser Tyr Ile Asn Arg Thr Gly Thr Phe Glu Phe Thr Ser Phe Phe 485 490 495Tyr Arg Tyr Gly Phe Val Ala Asn Phe Ser Met Glu Leu Pro Ser Phe 500 505 510Gly Val Ser Gly Ile Asn Glu Ser Ala Asp Met Ser Ile Gly Val Thr 515 520 525Val Ile Lys Asn Asn Met Ile Asn Asn Asp Leu Gly Pro Ala Thr Ala 530 535 540Gln Met Ala Leu Gln Leu Phe Ile Lys Asp Tyr Arg Tyr Thr Tyr Arg545 550 555 560Cys His Arg Gly Asp Thr Gln Ile Gln Thr Arg Arg Ser Phe Glu Leu 565 570 575Lys Lys Leu Trp Glu Gln Thr Arg Ser Lys Ala Gly Leu Leu Val Ser 580 585 590Asp Gly Gly Pro Asn Leu Tyr Asn Ile Arg Asn Leu His Ile Pro Glu 595 600 605Val Cys Leu Lys Trp Glu Leu Met Asp Glu Asp Tyr Gln Gly Arg Leu 610 615 620Cys Asn Pro Leu Asn Pro Phe Val Ser His Lys Glu Ile Glu Ser Val625 630 635 640Asn Asn Ala Val Val Met Pro Ala His Gly Pro Ala Lys Ser Met Glu 645 650 655Tyr Asp Ala Val Ala Thr Thr His Ser Trp Ile Pro Lys Arg Asn Arg 660 665 670Ser Ile Leu Asn Thr Ser Gln Arg Gly Ile Leu Glu Asp Glu Gln Met 675 680 685Tyr Gln Lys Cys Cys Asn Leu Phe Glu Lys Phe Phe Pro Ser Ser Ser 690 695 700Tyr Arg Arg Pro Val Gly Ile Ser Ser Met Val Glu Ala Met Val Ser705 710 715 720Arg Ala Arg Ile Asp Ala Arg Ile Asp Phe Glu Ser Gly Arg Ile Lys 725 730 735Lys Glu Glu Phe Ser Glu Ile Met Lys Ile Cys Ser Thr Ile Glu Glu 740 745 750Leu Arg Arg Gln Lys Gln 75528716PRTUnknownInfluenza 28Met Glu Asp Phe Val Arg Gln Cys Phe Asn Pro Met Ile Val Glu Leu1 5 10 15Ala Glu Lys Thr Met Lys Glu Tyr Gly Glu Asp Leu Lys Ile Glu Thr 20 25 30Asn Lys Phe Ala Ala Ile Cys Thr His Leu Glu Val Cys Phe Met Tyr 35 40 45Ser Asp Phe His Phe Ile Asn Glu Gln Gly Glu Ser Ile Ile Val Glu 50 55 60Leu Gly Asp Pro Asn Ala Leu Leu Lys His Arg Phe Glu Ile Ile Glu65 70 75 80Gly Arg Asp Arg Thr Met Ala Trp Thr Val Val Asn Ser Ile Cys Asn 85 90 95Thr Thr Gly Ala Glu Lys Pro Lys Phe Leu Pro Asp Leu Tyr Asp Tyr 100 105 110Lys Glu Asn Arg Phe Ile Glu Ile Gly Val Thr Arg Arg Glu Val His 115 120 125Ile Tyr Tyr Leu Glu Lys Ala Asn Lys Ile Lys Ser Glu Lys Thr His 130 135 140Ile His Ile Phe Ser Phe Thr Gly Glu Glu Met Ala Thr Lys Ala Asp145 150 155 160Tyr Thr Leu Asp Glu Glu Ser Arg Ala Arg Ile Lys Thr Arg Leu Phe 165 170 175Thr Ile Arg Gln Glu Met Ala Ser Arg Gly Leu Trp Asp Ser Phe Arg 180 185 190Gln Ser Glu Arg Gly Glu Glu Thr Ile Glu Glu Arg Phe Glu Ile Thr 195 200 205Gly Thr Met Arg Lys Leu Ala Asp Gln Ser Leu Pro Pro Asn Phe Ser 210 215 220Ser Leu Glu Asn Phe Arg Ala Tyr Val Asp Gly Phe Glu Pro Asn Gly225 230 235 240Tyr Ile Glu Gly Lys Leu Ser Gln Met Ser Lys Glu Val Asn Ala Arg 245 250 255Ile Glu Pro Phe Leu Lys Thr Thr Pro Arg Pro Leu Arg Leu Pro Asn 260 265 270Gly Pro Pro Cys Ser Gln Arg Ser Lys Phe Leu Leu Met Asp Ala Leu 275 280 285Lys Leu Ser Ile Glu Asp Pro Ser His Glu Gly Glu Gly Ile Pro Leu 290 295 300Tyr Asp Ala Ile Lys Cys Met Arg Thr Phe Phe Gly Trp Lys Glu Pro305 310 315 320Asn Val Val Lys Pro His Glu Lys Gly Ile Asn Pro Asn Tyr Leu Leu 325 330 335Ser Trp Lys Gln Val Leu Ala Glu Leu Gln Asp Ile Glu Asn Glu Glu 340 345 350Lys Ile Pro Lys Thr Lys Asn Met Lys Lys Thr Ser Gln Leu Lys Trp 355 360 365Ala Leu Gly Glu Asn Met Ala Pro Glu Lys Val Asp Phe Asp Asp Cys 370 375 380Lys Asp Val Gly Asp Leu Lys Gln Tyr Asp Ser Asp Glu Pro Glu Leu385 390 395 400Arg Ser Leu Ala Ser Trp Ile Gln Asn Glu Phe Asn Lys Ala Cys Glu 405 410 415Leu Thr Asp Ser Ser Trp Ile Glu Leu Asp Glu Ile Gly Glu Asp Val 420 425 430Ala Pro Ile Glu His Ile Ala Ser Met Arg Arg Asn Tyr Phe Thr Ser 435 440 445Glu Val Ser His Cys Arg Ala Thr Glu Tyr Ile Met Lys Gly Val Tyr 450 455 460Ile Asn Thr Ala Leu Leu Asn Ala Ser Cys Ala Ala Met Asp Asp Phe465 470 475 480Gln Leu Ile Pro Met Ile Ser Lys Cys Arg Thr Lys Glu Gly Arg Arg 485 490 495Lys Thr Asn Leu Tyr Gly Phe Ile Ile Lys Gly Arg Ser His Leu Arg 500 505 510Asn Asp Thr Asp Val Val Asn Phe Val Ser Met Glu Phe Ser Leu Thr 515 520 525Asp Pro Arg Leu Glu Pro His Lys Trp Glu Lys Tyr Cys Val Leu Glu 530 535 540Ile Gly Asp Met Leu Ile Arg Ser Ala Ile Gly Gln Val Ser Arg Pro545 550 555 560Met Phe Leu Tyr Val Arg Thr Asn Gly Thr Ser Lys Ile Lys Met Lys 565 570 575Trp Gly Met Glu Met Arg Arg Cys Leu Leu Gln Ser Leu Gln Gln Ile 580 585 590Glu Ser Met Ile Glu Ala Glu Ser Ser Val Lys Glu Lys Asp Met Thr 595 600 605Lys Glu Phe Phe Glu Asn Lys Ser Glu Thr Trp Pro Ile Gly Glu Ser 610 615 620Pro Lys Gly Val Glu Glu Ser Ser Ile Gly Lys Val Cys Arg Thr Leu625 630 635 640Leu Ala Lys Ser Val Phe Asn Ser Leu Tyr Ala Ser Pro Gln Leu Glu 645 650 655Gly Phe Ser Ala Glu Ser Arg Lys Leu Leu Leu Ile Val Gln Ala Leu 660 665 670Arg Asp Asn Leu Glu Pro Gly Thr Phe Asp Leu Gly Gly Leu Tyr Glu 675 680 685Ala Ile Glu Glu Cys Leu Ile Asn Asp Pro Trp Val Leu Leu Asn Ala 690 695 700Ser Trp Phe Asn Ser Phe Leu Thr His Ala Leu Ser705 710 71529326PRTUnknownInfluenza 29Met Ala Ser Gln Gly Thr Lys Arg Ser Tyr Glu Gln Met Glu Thr Asp1 5 10 15Gly Glu Arg Gln Asn Ala Thr Glu Ile Arg Ala Ser Val Gly Lys Met 20 25 30Ile Gly Gly Ile Gly Arg Phe Tyr Ile Gln Met Cys Thr Glu Leu Lys 35 40 45Leu Ser Asp Tyr Glu Gly Arg Leu Ile Gln Asn Ser Leu Thr Ile Glu 50 55 60Arg Met Val Leu Ser Ala Phe Asp Glu Arg Arg Asn Lys Tyr Leu Glu65 70 75 80Glu His Pro Ser Ala Gly Lys Asp Pro Lys Lys Thr Gly Gly Pro Ile 85 90 95Tyr Arg Arg Val Asn Gly Lys Trp Met Arg Glu Leu Ile Leu Tyr Asp 100 105 110Lys Glu Glu Ile Arg Arg Ile Trp Arg Gln Ala Asn Asn Gly Asp Asp 115 120 125Ala Thr Ala Gly Leu Thr His Met Met Ile Trp His Ser Asn Leu Asn 130 135 140Asp Ala Thr Tyr Gln Arg Thr Arg Ala Leu Val Arg Thr Gly Met Asp145 150 155 160Pro Arg Met Cys Ser Leu Met Gln Gly Ser Thr Leu Pro Arg Arg Ser 165 170 175Gly Ala Ala Gly Ala Ala Val Lys Gly Val Gly Thr Met Val Met Glu 180 185

190Leu Val Arg Met Ile Lys Arg Gly Ile Asn Asp Arg Asn Phe Trp Arg 195 200 205Gly Glu Asn Gly Arg Lys Thr Arg Ile Ala Tyr Glu Arg Met Cys Asn 210 215 220Ile Leu Lys Gly Lys Phe Gln Thr Ala Ala Gln Lys Ala Met Met Asp225 230 235 240Gln Val Arg Glu Ser Arg Asp Pro Gly Asn Ala Glu Phe Glu Asp Leu 245 250 255Thr Phe Leu Ala Arg Ser Ala Leu Ile Leu Arg Gly Ser Val Ala His 260 265 270Lys Ser Cys Leu Pro Ala Cys Val Tyr Gly Pro Ala Val Ala Ser Gly 275 280 285Tyr Asp Phe Glu Arg Glu Gly Tyr Ser Leu Val Gly Ile Asp Pro Phe 290 295 300Arg Leu Leu Gln Asn Ser Gln Val Tyr Ser Leu Ile Arg Pro Asn Glu305 310 315 320Asn Pro Ala His Lys Ser 32530252PRTUnknownInfluenza 30Met Ser Leu Leu Thr Glu Val Glu Thr Tyr Val Leu Ser Ile Ile Pro1 5 10 15Ser Gly Pro Leu Lys Ala Glu Ile Ala Gln Arg Leu Glu Asp Val Phe 20 25 30Ala Gly Lys Asn Thr Asp Leu Glu Val Leu Met Glu Trp Leu Lys Thr 35 40 45Arg Pro Ile Leu Ser Pro Leu Thr Lys Gly Ile Leu Gly Phe Val Phe 50 55 60Thr Leu Thr Val Pro Ser Glu Arg Gly Leu Gln Arg Arg Arg Phe Val65 70 75 80Gln Asn Ala Leu Asn Gly Asn Gly Asp Pro Asn Asn Met Asp Lys Ala 85 90 95Val Lys Leu Tyr Arg Lys Leu Lys Arg Glu Ile Thr Phe His Gly Ala 100 105 110Lys Glu Ile Ser Leu Ser Tyr Ser Ala Gly Ala Leu Ala Ser Cys Met 115 120 125Gly Leu Ile Tyr Asn Arg Met Gly Ala Val Thr Thr Glu Val Ala Phe 130 135 140Gly Leu Val Cys Ala Thr Cys Glu Gln Ile Ala Asp Ser Gln His Arg145 150 155 160Ser His Arg Gln Met Val Thr Thr Thr Asn Pro Leu Ile Arg His Glu 165 170 175Asn Arg Met Val Leu Ala Ser Thr Thr Ala Lys Ala Met Glu Gln Met 180 185 190Ala Gly Ser Ser Glu Gln Ala Ala Glu Ala Met Glu Val Ala Ser Gln 195 200 205Ala Arg Gln Met Val Gln Ala Met Arg Thr Ile Gly Thr His Pro Ser 210 215 220Ser Ser Ala Gly Leu Lys Asn Asp Leu Leu Glu Asn Leu Gln Ala Tyr225 230 235 240Gln Lys Arg Met Gly Val Gln Met Gln Arg Phe Lys 245 250312299DNAUnknownInfluenza 31aatatggaaa gaataaaaga gctaaggaat ctgatgtcac aatctcgcac tcgcgagata 60cttacaaaaa ctactgtaga ccacatggcc ataatcaaga aatacacatc aggaagacag 120gagaaaaacc catcacttag aatgaaatgg atgatggcaa tgaaataccc aattacagca 180gataaaagga taacggaaat gattcctgaa agaaatgagc aaggacagac attatggagt 240aaagtgaatg atgccggatc agaccgagtg atgatatcac ccctggctgt gacatggtgg 300aacagaaatg gaccagtggc aagtactatt cactatccaa aaatctacaa aacttacttt 360gaaaaggttg aaaggttaaa acatggaacc tttggccctg tacactttag aaaccaagtc 420aaaatacgcc gaagagtcga cataaatcct ggtcatgcag acctcagcgc caaggaggca 480caggatgtaa ttatggaagt tgttttccct aatgaagtgg gagccagaat actaacatca 540gaatcgcaat taacgataac caaggagaaa aaagaagaac tccagaattg caaaatttcc 600cctttgatgg ttgcatacat gttagagagg gaacttgtcc gcaaaacgag atttctcccg 660gttgctggtg gaacaagcag tgtgtacatt gaagttttgc atttaacaca ggggacatgc 720tgggagcaga tgtacactcc aggtggggag gtgaggaatg atgatgttga tcaaagccta 780attattgctg ctaggaacat agtgagaaga gctgcagtat cagcagatcc actagcatct 840ttattagaaa tgtgccatag cacacagatt ggtgggacaa ggatggtgga tattctcagg 900caaaatccaa cagaagaaca agctgtggat atatgcaaag cagcaatggg gctgagaatc 960agttcatcct tcagttttgg cggattcaca tttaagagaa caagtggatc atcagtcaaa 1020agggaggaag aagtgctcac gggcaatctg caaacattga agctaactgt gcatgaggga 1080tatgaagagt tcacaatggt tgggaaaagg gcaacagcta tactcagaaa agcaaccagg 1140agattgattc aactaatagt gagtggaaga gacgaacagt caatagtcga agcaatagtt 1200gtagcaatgg tattctcaca agaagattgc atggtaaaag cagttagagg tgatctgaat 1260ttcgttaata gagcgaatca gcggttgaat cccatgcatc aacttttgag acattttcag 1320aaggatgcta aagtactttt cttaaattgg ggaattgaac ctatcgacaa tgtgatggga 1380atgattggga tattacctga tatgactcca agtaccgaga tgtcaatgag aggagtgaga 1440gtcagcaaaa tgggtgtaga tgaatactcc aatgctgaaa gggtagtggt gagcattgac 1500cgttttttga gagtccggga ccaaagagga aatgtactac tgtctccaga ggaagtcagt 1560gaaacacagg gaacagagaa actgacaata acttactctt catcaatgat gtgggagatt 1620aatggccctg agtcagtgtt gatcaatacc tatcagtgga tcatcagaaa ctgggagact 1680gttaaaattc agtggtctca gaaccctaca atgctataca ataaaatgga attcgagcca 1740tttcagtctc tagtccctaa ggccattaga ggccaataca gtgggtttgt tagaactcta 1800tttcaacaaa tgagggatgt gcttgggacc tttgacacaa ctcagataat aaaacttctt 1860ccctttgcag ccgctccacc aaagcaaagt agaatgcaat tctcatcatt gactgtgaat 1920gtgaggggat caggaatgag aatacttgta aggggtaatt ctccagtatt caactacaac 1980aagaccacta agagactcac agtcctcgga aaggatgctg gcactttaac tgaagaccca 2040gatgaaggca cagctggagt ggaatctgct gttctaaggg gattcctcat tctaggcaaa 2100gaagatagaa gatatgggcc agcattaagc atcaatgaat tgagcaacct tgcgaaaggg 2160gaaaaagcta atgtgctaat tgggcaaggg gacgtagtgt tggtaatgaa acgaaaacgg 2220gactctagca tacttactga cagccagaca gcgaccaaaa gaattcggat ggccatcaat 2280taatttcgaa taatttaaa 2299322277DNAUnknownInfluenza 32atggaacgca ttaaagaact gcgcaacctg atgagccaga gccgcacccg cgaaattctg 60accaaaacca ccgtggatca tatggcgatt attaaaaaat ataccagcgg ccgccaggaa 120aaaaacccga gcctgcgcat gaaatggatg atggcgatga aatatccgat taccgcggat 180aaacgcatta ccgaaatgat tccggaacgc aacgaacagg gccagaccct gtggagcaaa 240gtgaacgatg cgggcagcga tcgcgtgatg attagcccgc tggcggtgac ctggtggaac 300cgcaacggcc cggtggcgag caccattcat tatccgaaaa tttataaaac ctattttgaa 360aaagtggaac gcctgaaaca tggcaccttt ggcccggtgc attttcgcaa ccaggtgaaa 420attcgccgcc gcgtggatat taacccgggc catgcggatc tgagcgcgaa agaagcgcag 480gatgtgatta tggaagtggt gtttccgaac gaagtgggcg cgcgcattct gaccagcgaa 540agccagctga ccattaccaa agaaaaaaaa gaagaactgc agaactgcaa aattagcccg 600ctgatggtgg cgtatatgct ggaacgcgaa ctggtgcgca aaacccgctt tctgccggtg 660gcgggcggca ccagcagcgt gtatattgaa gtgctgcatc tgacccaggg cacctgctgg 720gaacagatgt ataccccggg cggcgaagtg cgcaacgatg atgtggatca gagcctgatt 780attgcggcgc gcaacattgt gcgccgcgcg gcggtgagcg cggatccgct ggcgagcctg 840ctggaaatgt gccatagcac ccagattggc ggcacccgca tggtggatat tctgcgccag 900aacccgaccg aagaacaggc ggtggatatt tgcaaagcgg cgatgggcct gcgcattagc 960agcagcttta gctttggcgg ctttaccttt aaacgcacca gcggcagcag cgtgaaacgc 1020gaagaagaag tgctgaccgg caacctgcag accctgaaac tgaccgtgca tgaaggctat 1080gaagaattta ccatggtggg caaacgcgcg accgcgattc tgcgcaaagc gacccgccgc 1140ctgattcagc tgattgtgag cggccgcgat gaacagagca ttgtggaagc gattgtggtg 1200gcgatggtgt ttagccagga agattgcatg gtgaaagcgg tgcgcggcga tctgaacttt 1260gtgaaccgcg cgaaccagcg cctgaacccg atgcatcagc tgctgcgcca ttttcagaaa 1320gatgcgaaag tgctgtttct gaactggggc attgaaccga ttgataacgt gatgggcatg 1380attggcattc tgccggatat gaccccgagc accgaaatga gcatgcgcgg cgtgcgcgtg 1440agcaaaatgg gcgtggatga atatagcaac gcggaacgcg tggtggtgag cattgatcgc 1500tttctgcgcg tgcgcgatca gcgcggcaac gtgctgctga gcccggaaga agtgagcgaa 1560acccagggca ccgaaaaact gaccattacc tatagcagca gcatgatgtg ggaaattaac 1620ggcccggaaa gcgtgctgat taacacctat cagtggatta ttcgcaactg ggaaaccgtg 1680aaaattcagt ggagccagaa cccgaccatg ctgtataaca aaatggaatt tgaaccgttt 1740cagagcctgg tgccgaaagc gattcgcggc cagtatagcg gctttgtgcg caccctgttt 1800cagcagatgc gcgatgtgct gggcaccttt gataccaccc agattattaa actgctgccg 1860tttgcggcgg cgccgccgaa acagagccgc atgcagttta gcagcctgac cgtgaacgtg 1920cgcggcagcg gcatgcgcat tctggtgcgc ggcaacagcc cggtgtttaa ctataacaaa 1980accaccaaac gcctgaccgt gctgggcaaa gatgcgggca ccctgaccga agatccggat 2040gaaggcaccg cgggcgtgga aagcgcggtg ctgcgcggct ttctgattct gggcaaagaa 2100gatcgccgct atggcccggc gctgagcatt aacgaactga gcaacctggc gaaaggcgaa 2160aaagcgaacg tgctgattgg ccagggcgat gtggtgctgg tgatgaaacg caaacgcgat 2220agcagcattc tgaccgatag ccagaccgcg accaaacgca ttcgcatggc gattaac 2277

Claims

1-24. (canceled)

25. A reassortant influenza A virus comprising an HA segment, an NA segment and backbone segments PA, PB1, PB2, NP, NS and M, wherein the backbone segments are from two or more donor strains, wherein (a) the HA segment and the PB1 segment are from different influenza A strains with the same influenza virus HA subtype, (b) wherein the HA segment and the PB1 segment are from different influenza A strains with different influenza virus HA subtypes, wherein the PB1 segment is not from an influenza virus with a H3 HA subtype and/or wherein the HA segment is not from an influenza virus with a H1 or H5 HA subtype, or (c) at least one backbone segment is from the A/California/07/09 influenza strain.

26. The reassortant influenza A virus of claim 25, wherein the HA segment and the PB1 segment are from a H1 influenza strain.

27. The reassortant influenza A virus of claim 25, wherein the reassortant influenza A virus comprises (b) and the PB1 segment is from a H1 virus and/or wherein the HA segment is from a H3 influenza vims.

28. The reassortant influenza A virus of claim 25, wherein the reassortant influenza A virus comprises (c) and the at least one backbone segment is the PB1 segment.

29. The reassortant influenza A virus of claim 28, wherein the PB1 segment has at least 95%, at least 99% identity, or 100% identity with the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 16.

30. The reassortant influenza A virus of claim 25, wherein the reassortant influenza A virus comprises (c) and the HA segment is from a H1 influenza strain.

31. The reassortant influenza A virus of claim 25, wherein the PB1 segment and the PB2 segment are from the same donor strain.

32. The reassortant influenza A virus of claim 25, wherein the segments are selected from the group consisting of: a) the PA segment having at least 95% or 99% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1; b) the PB2 segment having at least 95% or 99% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3; c) the M segment having at least 95% or 99% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5; d) the NP segment having at least 95% or 99% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4; and/or e) the NS segment having at least 95% or 99% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6.

33. The reassortant influenza A virus of claim 32, wherein the PA segment has 95% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, the PB2 segment has 95% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3, the M segment has 95% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5, the NP segment has 95% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 and the NS segment has 95% identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6.

34. The reassortant influenza A virus of claim 33, wherein the PA segment has the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, the PB2 segment has the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3, the M segment has the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5, the NP segment has the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 and the NS segment has the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6.

35. The reassortant influenza A virus of claim 25 comprising backbone segments (i) from two, three or four donor strains, wherein each donor strain provides more than one backbone segment, (ii) from two or more donor strains, wherein the PB1 segment is not from the A/Texas/1/77 influenza strain, or (iii) from two or more donor strains, wherein at least the PA, NP, or M segment are not from A/Puerto Rico/8/34.

36. The reassortant influenza A virus of claim 25, wherein at least one of the backbone segments is selected from the group consisting of: a) the PB2 segment which has lysine in the position corresponding to amino acid 389 of SEQ ID NO: 3 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 3, using a pairwise alignment algorithm; and/or b) the PB2 segment which has asparagine in the position corresponding to amino acid 559 of SEQ ID NO: 3 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 3, using a pairwise alignment algorithm; and/or c) the PA segment which has lysine in the position corresponding to amino acid 327 of SEQ ID NO: 1 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 1, using a pairwise alignment algorithm; and/or d) the PA segment which has aspartic acid in the position corresponding to amino acid 444 of SEQ ID NO: 1 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 1, using a pairwise alignment algorithm; and/or e) the PA segment which has aspartic acid in the position corresponding to amino acid 675 of SEQ ID NO: 1 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 1, using a pairwise alignment algorithm; and/or f) the NP segment which has threonine in the position corresponding to amino acid 27 of SEQ ID NO: 4 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 4 using a pairwise alignment algorithm; and/or g) the NP segment which has asparagine in the position corresponding to amino acid 375 of SEQ ID NO: 4 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 4, using a pairwise alignment algorithm.

37. The reassortant influenza A strain of claim 36, wherein (i) the PB2 segment has lysine in the position corresponding to amino acid 389 of SEQ ID NO: 3 and asparagine in the position corresponding to amino acid 559 of SEQ ID NO: 3 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 3, using a pairwise alignment algorithm, (ii) the PA segment has lysine in the position corresponding to amino acid 327: aspartic acid in the position corresponding to amino acid 444 of SEQ ID NO: 1 and aspartic acid in the position corresponding to amino acid 675 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 1, using a pairwise alignment algorithm, or (iii) the NP genome segment has threonine in the position corresponding to amino acid 27 of SEQ ID NO: 4 and asparagine in the position corresponding to amino acid 375 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 4. using a pairwise alignment algorithm, or (iv) the influenza A strain is a H1 strain.

38. The reassortant influenza A strain of claim 25, wherein the PB2 segment has lysine in the position corresponding to amino acid 389 of SEQ ID NO: 3 and asparagine in the position corresponding to amino acid 559 of SEQ ID NO: 3 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 3, using a pairwise alignment algorithm, PA genome segment has lysine in the position corresponding to amino acid 327; aspartic acid in the position corresponding to amino acid 444 of SEQ ID NO: 1 and aspartic acid in the position corresponding to amino acid 675 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 1, using a pairwise alignment algorithm, and an NP genome segment has threonine in the position corresponding to amino acid 27 of SEQ ID NO: 4 and asparagine in the position corresponding to amino acid 375 when aligned to SEQ ID NO: 4, using a pairwise alignment algorithm

39. A method of preparing a reassortant influenza A virus of claim 25 comprising steps of (i) introducing into a culture host one or more expression construct(s) which encode(s) the viral segments required to produce an influenza A virus wherein the expression construct(s) encode the backbone segments from two or more donor strains and wherein the HA and PB1 genome segments are from different influenza strains which have the same influenza HA subtype; and (ii) culturing the culture host in order to produce the reassortant influenza A virus of claim 25, wherein the reassortant influenza A virus comprises (a).

40. The method of claim 39, wherein (1) the expression construct(s) do/does not encode the PB1 segment from the A/Texas/1/77 influenza strain, (2) the at least one expression construct comprises a sequence having at least 90% or 100% identity with the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 22, (3) the expression construct(s) further comprise(s) one or more of the sequences having at least 90% identity or 100% identity with the sequences of SEQ ID Nos.: 9 and/or 11 to 14, or (4) further comprising the step (iii) of purifying the reassortant virus obtained in step (ii).

41. A method of preparing a reassortant influenza A virus of claim 28 comprising steps of (i) introducing into a culture host one or more expression construct(s) which encode(s) the viral segments required to produce an influenza A virus wherein the expression construct(s) encode the backbone segments from two or more donor strains and wherein the PB1 backbone viral segment is from A/California/07/09; and (ii) culturing the culture host in order to produce the reassortant influenza A virus of claim 28.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the expression construct(s) are (3) and comprise(s) all of the sequences having at least 90% identity or 100% identity with the sequences of SEQ ID Nos.: 9 and 11 to 14.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein the HA segment is from a H1 influenza virus.

44. A method for producing influenza viruses comprising steps of (a) infecting a culture host with the reassortant influenza virus of claim 25; (b) culturing the host from step (a) to produce the virus; and optionally (c) purifying the virus produced in step (b).

45. A method of preparing a vaccine, comprising the steps of (a) preparing a virus by the method of claim 44 and (b) preparing a vaccine from the virus.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the culture host is an embryonated hen egg.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein the culture host is a mammalian cell, optionally an MDCK (such as MDCK 33016 (DSM ACC2219)), Vero or PerC6 cell.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the cell grows adherently or in suspension.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein step (b) involves inactivating the virus.

50. The method of claim 45, wherein the vaccine is a whole virion vaccine, a split virion vaccine. a surface antigen vaccine, or a virosomal vaccine.

51. The method of claim 45, wherein the vaccine contains less than 10 ng of residual host cell DNA per dose.

52. The method of claim 45, wherein at least one of the influenza strains is of the H1, H2, H5, H7 or H9 subtype.

53. An expression system comprising one or more expression construct(s) comprising the vRNA encoding segments of an influenza A virus wherein the expression construct(s) encode(s) the backbone viral segments from two or more influenza donor strains, wherein (i) the HA and PB1 segments are from two different influenza strains with the same influenza HA subtype, (ii) the HA and PB1 segments are from two different influenza strains with different influenza virus HA subtypes, wherein the expression construct(s) do(es) not encode the PB1 segment from an influenza virus with a H3 HA subtype and/or wherein the expression construct(s) do(es) not encode the HA segment from an influenza virus with a H1 or H5 HA subtype. or (iii) wherein the PB1 segment is from A/California/07/09.

54. The expression system of claim 53, wherein (a) the expression construct(s) may further comprise the vRNAs which encode the PB2, NP, NS, M and PA segments from PR8-X,(b) wherein the at least one expression construct comprises a sequence having at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 99% or 100% identity with the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 22, (c) the expression construct(s) further comprise(s) one or more of the sequences having at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 99% or 100% identity with the sequences of SEQ ID Nos.: 9, and/or 11 to 14. or (d) the expression construct(s) comprise(s) all of the sequences having at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 99% or 100% identity with the sequences of SEQ ID Nos.: 9 and 11 to 14.

55. A host cell comprising the expression system of claim 53.

56. The host cell of claim 55, wherein the host cell is a mammalian cell, optionally an MDCK, Vero or PerC6 cell.