The present invention relates, in general, to a methodology for the
generation or nonsegmented negative-strand RNA viruses (Pringle, 1991)
from cloned deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA). Such rescued viruses are
suitable for use as vaccines, or alternatively, as plasmids in somatic
gene therapy applications. The invention also relates to cDNA molecules
suitable as tools in this methodology and to helper cell lines allowing
the direct rescue of such viruses. Measles virus (MV) is used as a model
for other representatives of the Mononegavirales, in particular the
family Paramyxoviridae.