10 000. Preferably the growth is effected in 2 sequential stages at different temperatures, the first temperature being higher than the second. The first temperature is preferably 37°C and the second is 32°C. Caffeine is opt imally present during the second stage, preferably in an amount of 0.0001-0.003 M. HBsAG Is used as a vaccine against hepatitis B disease.

04 1 - 84

Production of neutralizing antibodies to entero virus, by use of isolated entero virus capsid polypeptide VPI

MIT World 8303-972; 24 November 1983

Production of neutral izing antibodies to entero virus com- prises the use of isolated entero virus capsid polypeptide VPI as the antigen for causing their production. An oligopeptide fragment of VP1 may also be used. The antibodies may be monoclonal. A clonal cell line transformed with a re- combinant cDNA vector containing cDNA coding for a protein capable of being processed by the cell line into polio virus capsid polypeptide VPI or its oligopeptide fragment is described. The sequences of oligopeptides causing pro- duction of the neutral izing antibodies are given. The polypeptide VP1 etc. may be used in place of whole polio virus particles for ant ibody production and they are safe to be used as vaccines. Polio virus type 1 was used to infect HeLa cells in suspension and after 6 h at 37°C, the cells were centrifuged, treated with detergent and purified by CsC! equilibrium centrifugation. Capsid proteins VPI, VP2 and VP3 were isolated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electro-

Patent report

phoresis. Tests with VPI polypeptide alone or coupled to a carrier protein showed its efficacy for production o[ neutralizing antibodies. 042-84

Nucleotidic sequence coding the surface antigen of the hepatitis B virus, vector containing said nucleotidic sequence, process allowing the obtention thereof and antigen obtained thereby

lnst. Pasteur US 4,428,941; 31 January 1984

A peptide which comprises the sequence: Alanine- Glutamine-Glycine-Threonine-Serine, wherein the a lanine end is N-terminal and the serine end is C-terminal. 043-84

Large scale cultivation of Bordetella pertussis cells for vaccine production

Am. Cyanamid Co. US 4,429,046; 31 January 1984

A process for producing pertussis vaccine of high potency and low toxicity which comprises: (a) producing seed cultures ofBordetella pertussis from a biphasic growth in blood agar; (b) inoculating a biphasic growth system comprising a liquid medium over charcoal agar with said seed system; (c) inoculating said charcoal biphasic seed into a liquid medium containing an anion exchange resin; (d) inoculating a deep fermentation tank with liquid medium culture containing an anion exchange resin; (e) incubating the broth at a temperature of 32-38°C; (t) killing the Bordetella pertussis and separating the killed bacteria from the broth. 044-84

Conference Report Joint lABS/WHO congress on standardization and control of biologicals produced by recombinant DNA technology

29 November-1 December 1983, Geneva

This Congress was perhaps the first meeting in which scientists involved with the development of biologicals obtained by recombinant DNA tech- nology have had the opportunity to debate the crucial problem of the clinical acceptability of potential new products. The situation was unique in that some scientists involved with the national regulatory agencies also part- icipated in the meeting.

The Proceedings of the Congress will be published in 1984 in Developments in Biological Standardization. S. Karger Ed.

The first session covered different aspects of molecular cloning and amp- lification of specific genes inserted into E. coli. Darai and Appel (Heidelberg) reported a new construct and developed a bacterial system ( E. coil GC3) which allowed the amplification of heavily methylated foreign DNA. This method was used to obtain a gene library of the whole fish lymphocystis disease virus. Darai also presented his results con- cerning the insertion of a very large fragment of DNA (49 mega daltons) of tree shrew herpesvirus into the bacterial plasmid vector pAT 153.

In order to increase the expression of genes cloned in E. coil, Amann (Marburg) constructed a plasmid vector containing a hybrid promoter tac obtained from region 10 of the lae promoter and region 35 of the trp promoter. This promoter is seven times more efficient than lac UV5 and 2.5 times more efficient than the trp promoter.

A general review of the expression of foreign genes in yeast was presented by Hinnen (Basel). The advantages of this eukaryotic system were discussed in connection with the production of INF and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).

One difficulty in obtaining bio- logicals is their instability in animal or bacterial cells because of proteolytic enzymes. By using a new protease substrate, Hedman and Gustafson (Uppsala) were able to show that most of the proteolytic activity was adsorbed to the hydrophobic gel media.

The second session of the congress was devoted mainly to bacteria, para- sites and interferon. Dougan and Morrisey (Wellcome) discussed the

Vaccine, Vol. 2, June 1984 165