EXPRESSION OF FUNCTIONAL INFLUENZA-VIRUS-A PROTEINS AND TEMPLATE FROMCLONED CDNAS IN VACCINIA VIRUS-INFECTED CELLS

cDNAs containing the coding sequences of influenza type A virus polyme rase proteins (PB1, PB2 and PA) and nucleoprotein (NP) have been expre ssed in mammalian cells by T7 polymerase provided by a recombinant vac cinia virus. The resulting proteins are able to form a complex that ca n copy a negative sense influenza-like RNA, transcribed from input DNA by the T7 polymerase, into a positive sense RNA that is translated in to active chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). In this system ther e is no requirement for helper virus or purified viral core proteins, thus it will allow manipulation of all proteins as well as template fo r studies of replication in influenza virus. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.