Abstract:
Peptides of influenza virus hemagglutinin protein and Plasmodium falciparum malaria antigen, antibodies specific for the peptides, influenza vaccines, malaria vaccines and methods of stimulating the immune response of a subject to produce antibodies to influenza virus or malaria are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for formulating vaccines for influenza virus.
Abstract:
The present invention relates in part to nicotine-derived hapten-carrier conjugates of the formula (III): wherein m, n, W, -(spacer)-, X* and Y are as defined in the description. In certain embodiments, said nicotine-derived hapten-carrier conjugates can be used to prepare vaccines for the treatment and/or prevention of nicotine addiction.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to the field of recombinant toxin protein production in bacterial hosts. In particular, the present invention relates to production processes for obtaining high levels of a recombinant CRM197, Diphtheria Toxin, Pertussis Toxin, Tetanus Toxoid Fragment C, Cholera Toxin B, Cholera holotoxin, and Pseudomonas Exotoxin A, from a bacterial host.
Abstract:
An immunogenic composition containing a glycan conjugate including a carrier protein, and a glycan including Globo H, an immunogenic fragment thereof, or stage-specific embryonic antigen-4 (SSEA-4), wherein the glycan is conjugated with the carrier protein through a linker.
Abstract:
The invention is a novel chemical coupling methodology for the synthesis of a stable polysaccharide-protein conjugates as the immunogenic component for vaccines. A covalent bond is formed between polysaccharide and protein in the dry state in the absence of water and oxygen. A polysaccharide antigen is covalently linked to the protein by activating the polysaccharide with periodate to introduce aldehyde groups into the polysaccharide, lyophilizing an aqueous mixture of a protein and activated polysaccharide, sealing the dry lyophilized mixture in a vessel under vacuum or inert gas and then incubating the sealed vessel at an elevated temperature.
Abstract:
The present invention relates in part to nicotine-derived hapten-carrier conjugates of the formula (III): wherein m, n, W, -(spacer)-, X* and Y are as defined in the description. In certain embodiments, said nicotine-derived hapten-carrier conjugates can be used to prepare vaccines for the treatment and/or prevention of nicotine addiction.
Abstract:
We describe a strategy for designing and implementing protein-fragment complementation assays (PCAs) to detect biomolecular interactions in vivo and in vitro. The design, implementation and broad applications of this strategy are illustrated with a large number of enzymes with particular detail provided for the example of murine dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Fusion peptides consisting of N- and C-terminal fragments of murine DHFR fused to GCN4 leucine zipper sequences were coexpressed in Escherichia coli grown in minimal medium, where the endogenous DHFR activity was inhibited with trimethoprim. Coexpression of the complementary fusion products restored colony formation. Survival only occurred when both DHFR fragments were present and contained leucine-zipper forming sequences, demonstrating that reconstitution of enzyme activity requires assistance of leucine zipper formation. DHFR fragment-interface point mutants of increasing severity (Ile to Val, Ala and Gly) resulted in a sequential increase in E. coli doubling times illustrating the successful DHFR fragment reassembly rather than non-specific interactions between fragments. This assay could be used to study equilibrium and kinetic aspects of molecular interactions including protein-protein, protein-DNA, protein-RNA, protein-carbohydrate and protein-small molecule interactions, for screening cDNA libraries for binding of a target protein with unknown proteins or libraries of small organic molecules for biological activity. The selection and design criteria applied here is developed for numerous examples of clonal selection, colorometric, fluorometric and other assays based on enzymes whose products can be measured. The development of such assay systems is shown to be simple, and provides for a diverse set of protein fragment complementation applications.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method of purifying diphtheria toxin comprising (1) fermenting a microorganism strain capable of producing diphtheria toxin using glucose as a carbon source, said method comprising adding glucose to a growing culture whereby the addition of glucose maintains microorganism growth effective to support diphtheria toxin production; and (2) purifying the diphtheria toxin from the culture by contacting a toxin containing preparation derived therefrom with an ion exchange matrix, eluting a fraction containing the toxin, applying the eluate to a hydrophobic matrix, and eluting a fraction containing the toxin.
Abstract:
Isolated nucleic acid molecules, designated MCT nucleic acid molecules, which encode novel MCT proteins from Corynebacterium glutamicum are described. The invention also provides antisense nucleic acid molecules, recombinant expression vectors containing MCT nucleic acid molecules, and host cells into which the expression vectors have been introduced. The invention still further provides isolated MCT proteins, mutated MCT proteins, fusion proteins, antigenic peptides and methods for the improvement of production of a desired compound from C. glutamicum based on genetic engineering of MCT genes in this organism.
Abstract:
A plurality of primer sets are designed based on a region where conservation at the amino acid level is observed among various microorganisms for known gene sequences corresponding to a gene coding for an enzyme of the L-amino acid biosynthetic pathway derived from Corynebacterium thermoaminogenes, preferably an enzyme that functions at a higher temperature compared with that of Corynebacterium glutamicum. PCR is performed by using the primers and chromosomal DNA of Corynebacterium thermoaminogenes as a template. The primers with which an amplification fragment has been obtained are used as primers for screening to select a clone containing a target DNA fragment from a plasmid library of chromosomal DNA of Corynebacterium thermoaminogenes.