Antigenics, Inc.

Aquila Biopharmaceuticals Inc.

Cheryl Murphy

Gerald A Beltz

Richard T Coughlin

James Storey

The present invention relates, in general, to polypeptides having antigenic epitopes from granulocytic ehrlichia (GE) proteins and methods of use thereof.

Characterization of granulocytic ehrlichia and methods of use

The present invention relates, in general, to methods of screening a sample obtained from a subject for antibodies relating to granulocytic ehrlichia (GE) infection.

Characterization of granulocytic Ehrlichia and methods of use

The present invention relates, in general, to granulocytic ehrlichia (GE) proteins. In particular, the present invention relates to nucleic acid molecules coding for GE S2, S7, S22, S23, C6.1, C6.2, S11, E8, E46#1, and E46#2 proteins; purified GE S2, S7, S22, S23, C6.1, C6.2, S11, E8, E46#1, and E46#2 proteins and polypeptides; recombinant nucleic acid molecules; cells containing the recombinant nucleic acid molecules; antibodies having binding affinity specifically to GE S2, S7, S22, S23, C6.1, C6.2, S11, E8, E46#1, and E46#2 proteins and polypeptides; hybridomas containing the antibodies; nucleic acid probes for the detection of nucleic acids encoding GE S2, S7, S22, S23, C6.1, C6.2, S11, E8, E46#1, and E46#2 proteins; a method of detecting nucleic acids encoding GE S2, S7, S22, S23, C6.1, C6.2, S11, E8, E46#1, and E46#2 proteins or polypeptides in a sample; kits containing nucleic acid probes or antibodies; bioassays using the nucleic acid sequence, protein or antibodies of this invention to diagnose, assess, or prognose a mammal afflicted with ehrlichiosis; therapeutic uses, specifically vaccines comprising S2, S7, S22, S23, C6.1, C6.2, S11, E8, E46#1, and E46#2 proteins or polypeptides or nucleic acids; and methods of preventing or inhibiting ehrlichiosis in an animal.

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Nucleic acids encoding eleven different proteins of granulocytic erhlichia (GE), a tick-borne intracellular bacteria, have been isolated and sequenced completely. These DNAs were isolated as immunoreactive clones from a Lambda Zap II genomic library of GE DNA purified from infected HL60 cells. Three of the clones, E8, E80, and E46, contain open reading frames for four highly homologous proteins which appear to be part of a multigene family resembling the MSP-2 gene family of,One clone, B3, contained a gene encoding the heat shock 70 protein. The other clones (W20, E74, and E82) contain open reading frames for proteins which have some homology to other bacterial proteins present in the nucleotide and protein databases. These and other GE antigens identified by immunoscreening of the genomic library are potentially useful as diagnostic reagents and vaccine candidates for GE.

Nucleic acids, proteins, and methods of use of granulocytic ehrlichia

The present invention relates, in general, to granulocytic ehrlichia (GE) proteins. In particular, the present invention relates to nucleic acid molecules coding for GE S2, S7, S22, S23, C6.1, C6.2, S11, E8, E46&num;1, and E46&num;2 proteins; purified GE S2, S7, S22, S23, C6.1, C6.2, S11, E8, E46&num;1, and E46&num;2 proteins and polypeptides; recombinant nucleic acid molecules; cells containing the recombinant nucleic acid molecules; antibodies having binding affinity specifically to GE S2, S7, S22, S23, C6.1, C6.2, S11, E8, E46&num;1, and E46&num;2 proteins and polypeptides; hybridomas containing the antibodies; nucleic acid probes for the detection of nucleic acids encoding GE S2, S7, S22, S23, C6.1, C6.2, S11, E8, E46&num;1, and E46&num;2 proteins; a method of detecting nucleic acids encoding GE S2, S7, S22, S23, C6.1, C6.2, S11, E8, E46&num;1, and E46&num;2 proteins or polypeptides in a sample; kits containing nucleic acid probes or antibodies; bioassays using the nucleic acid sequence, protein or antibodies of this invention to diagnose, assess, or prognose a mammal afflicted with ehrlichiosis; therapeutic uses, specifically vaccines comprising S2, S7, S22, S23, C6.1, C6.2, S11, E8, E46&num;1, and E46&num;2 proteins or polypeptides or nucleic acids; and methods of preventing or inhibiting ehrlichiosis in an animal.

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Hopkinton, MA, United States of America

Cheryl Murphy