EXPRESSION OF HEPATITIS-E VIRUS PUTATIVE STRUCTURAL PROTEINS IN RECOMBINANT VACCINIA VIRUSES

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a polyadenylated, positive-stranded RNA vir us which is a major cause of enterically transmitted non-A, non-B hepa titis in many developing countries. The viral genome contains three di fferent open reading frames (ORFs): ORF1, which is believed to encode nonstructural proteins, and ORF2 and ORF3, which are believed to encod e structural proteins. The full-length putative structural proteins en coded by ORF2 and ORF3 of HEV have been cloned and expressed in recomb inant vaccinia virus. Proteins encoded by ORF2 and ORF3 when expressed in vaccinia virus are recognized by pooled sera obtained from individ uals with acute hepatitis E. Vaccinia expressed viral gene products of HEV will have utility in characterizing the cell-mediated immune resp onse to HEV.