Selection of recombinant vaccinia viruses (Tian Tan strain) expressing hepatitis B virus surface antigen by using beta-galactosidase as a marker

We constructed a plasmid that contains a small piece of DNA with two vaccinia promoters running in opposite directions--a promoter from a late gene encoding an 11 K polypeptide (P11) and a promoter from an early gene encoding 25K (P25). These promoters were isolated from the Tian Tan strain of vaccinia virus and were flanked by the thymidine kinase (TK) sequence of the same virus. Genes encoding the hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) and the Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase (LacZ) were inserted downstream of the 11 K and 25 K promoters respectively so that coexpression plasmids were constructed. Recombinant vaccinia viruses were selected directly by picking blue plaques formed under overlaying agarose medium containing X-gal. HBsAg was expressed to high level by these recombinant viruses. These recombinant viruses showed reduced virulence on rabbit skin and induced anti-HBs after intradermal inoculation of rabbits.