The noroviruses (formerly known as “Norwalk-like viruses”) are associated with gastroenteritis outbreaks, affecting large numbers of individuals each year. Emerging data are supporting their increasing recognition as important agents of diarrhea-related morbidity and mortality. The frequency with which noroviruses are associated with gastroenteritis as “food and water-borne pathogens” has led to the inclusion of caliciviruses as Category B Bioterrorism Agents/Diseases. Because the noroviruses cannot be propagated by any means in the laboratory, an important strategy in their study is to development of molecular biology-based tools and replication systems. This invention reports the isolation of the first recombinant, enzymatically-active proteinase and RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) complex for a human norovirus. This enzyme should facilitate studies aimed at developing therapeutic drugs for norovirus disease.

The materials are further described in L Wei et al., "Proteinase-polymerase precursor as the active form of feline calicivirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase," J. Virol. 2001 Feb;75(3):1211-1219. [PubMed abs]

HHS Reference No. E-283-2003/0 -- Research Material

Inventors:
Gael M. Belliot, Stanislav V. Sosnovtsev, Kyeong-Ok Chang, Kim Y. Green (NIAID)

Licensees Sought:
The materials embodied in this invention are available nonexclusively through a biological materials license.

Collaborative Research Opportunity:
The Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, NIAID, NIH, is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize an active human norovirus proteinase-polymerase enzyme. Please contact Kim Y. Green at kgreen@niaid.nih.gov for more information.