The Uab Research Foundation (the University of Alabama at Birmingham)

Larry S McDaniel

David E Briles

Janet L Yother

Hiroshi Kiyono

Masafumi Yamamoto

Alexis Brooks-Walter

Edwin Swiatlo

Susan K Hollingshead

Hong-Yin Wu

Marilyn J Crain

Rebecca Tart

PspAs, portions thereof, DNA therefor, and immunological compositions, primers and probes based thereon are disclosed claimed.

Pneumococcal genes, portions thereof, expression products therefrom, and uses of such genes, portions and products

The present invention relates to pneumococcal genes, portions thereof, expression products therefrom and uses of such genes, portions and products; especially to genes of e.g., the gene encoding pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA), i.e., the pspA gene, the gene encoding pneumococcal surface protein A-like proteins, such as pspA-like genes, e.g., the gene encoding pneumococcal surface protein C (PspC), i.e., the pspC gene, portions of such genes, expression products therefrom, and the uses of such genes, portions thereof and expression products therefrom.

Pneumococcal surface proteins and uses thereof

Oral or peroral administration, including intragastrically, of killed whole pneumococci, lysate of pneumococci and isolated and purified PspA, as well as immunogenic fragments thereof, particularly when administered with an adjuvant such as cholera toxin provides protection in a host, animal or human, against pneumococcal infection, including colonization, and systemic infection, such as sepsis. The ability to elicit protection against pneumococcal colonization in a host prevents carriage among immunized individuals, which can lead to elimination of disease from the population as a whole.

Oral administration of pneumoccal antigens

Oral administration of pneumococcal antigens

Regions of the PspA protein of the R.times.1 strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae have been identified as containing protection-eliciting epitopes which are cross-reactive with PspAs of other S. pneumoniae strains and which is cross-protective. One region comprises the 68-amino acid sequence extending from amino acid residues 192 to 260 of the R.times.1 PspA strain while another region comprises the C-terminal amino acid sequence extending from amino acid residues 293 to 588 of the R.times.1 PspA strain.

Epitopic regions of pneumococcal surface protein A

Regions of the PspA protein of the Rx1 strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae have been identified as containing protection-eliciting epitopes which are cross-reactive with PspAs of other S. pneumoniae strains and which is cross-protective. One region comprises the 68-amino acid sequence extending from amino acid residues 192 to 260 of the Rx1 PspA, another region comprises the C-terminal amino acid sequence extending from amino acid residues 293 to 588 of the Rx1 PspA, while a third region comprises the N-terminal amino acid sequence extending from amino acid residues 1 to 115 of the Rx1 PspA.

A region of the PspA protein of the Rx1 strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae has been identified as containing protection-eliciting epitopes which are cross-reactive with PspAs of other S. pneumoniae strains and which is cross-protective. The region comprises the 68-amino acid sequence extending from amino acid residues 192 to 260 of the Rx1 PspA strain.

Epitopic regions of pneumococcal surface protein a

A purified pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) comprises a truncated form of the PspA protein which is immunoprotective and contains the protective epitopes of PspA. The PspA protein is soluble in physiologic solution and lacks at least the cell membrane anchor region of the whole protein. The protein is formed by insertion-duplication of mutagenesis of S. pneumoniae with pspA gene and expression of the truncated protein into the growth medium.

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Ridgeland, MS, United States of America

Larry S McDaniel