Osaka University

Eisai R&d Management Co., Ltd.

The Research Foundation for Microbial Diseases of Osaka

Horii, Toshihiro

Toshihiro Horii

Ken Ishii

Keigo Tanaka

Itaru Tsukada

Kappei Tsukahara

Kazutaka Nakamoto

Katsura Hata

Koji Sagane

Kaoru Ogawa

Takahiro Tougan

The present invention provides a vaccine for preventing and/or treatinginfections, which comprises a polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 or represented by formula (1), and an adjuvant.X-A-B-X-Y-X-(Y)n-X-(Y)n-X&#x2003;&#x2003;(1)(In the formula, Xrepresents the 1st to 7th amino acid residues in a polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1; Xrepresents the 73th to 177th amino acid residues; Xrepresents the 178th to 258th amino acid residues; Xrepresents the 259th to 289th amino acid residues; Xrepresents the 290th to 334th amino acid residues; A represents an 8-mer repeat sequence contained in a 47-kd region of SERA polypeptide of; B represents a sequence of a serine-rich region contained in a 47-kd region of SERA polypeptide of; Y represents any one selected from A-A, A-B, and B; and n is an integer of 0 or 1).

Malaria vaccine

The present invention provides a vaccine for preventing and/or treatinginfections, which comprises a polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 or represented by formula (1), and an adjuvant.X-A-B-X-Y-X-(Y)n-X-(Y)n-X&#x2003;&#x2003;(1)(In the formula, Xrepresents the 1st to 7th amino acid residues in a polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1; Xrepresents the 73th to 177th amino acid residues; Xrepresents the 178th to 258th amino acid residues; Xrepresents the 259th to 289th amino acid residues; Xrepresents the 290th to 334th amino acid residues; A represents an 8-mer repeat sequence contained in a 47-kd region of SERA polypeptide of; B represents a sequence of a serine-rich region contained in a 47-kd region of SERA polypeptide of; Y represents any one selected from A-A, A-B, and B; and n is an integer of 0 or 1.)

The present inventors succeeded in isolating GWT1 (PfGWT1), which is one of the enzymes involved in GPI biosynthesis in the malaria parasite. In addition, the inventors revealed that degenerate mutant DNAs, with a lower AT content than the DNA encoding the PfGWT1 protein, can complement the phenotype of GWT1-deficient yeast. Based on the findings, the present invention provides the GWT1 protein of malaria parasites and the use of the protein in methods of screening for antimalarial drugs. The present invention also provides degenerate mutant DNAs encoding proteins involved in GPI biosynthesis, and which have a lower AT content than the original DNAs. The present invention also provides methods of screening for antimalarial drugs which use the degenerate mutant DNAs.

Methods of screening for compounds that inhibit the biosynthesis of GPI in malaria parasites

The present invention provides a polypeptide SE36 derived from the N-terminal domain (47 kd) of SERA (serine-repeat antigen) produced by malaria parasite,, at the erythrocyte stage, a process for purifying said polypeptide, and a malaria vaccine and diagnostic agent using as an active component said purified antigen obtained therefrom. SE36 can be produced inon a large scale by deleting all or part of polymerized serines of the 47 kd serine-repeat region, whereby high purification is permitted. The human IgG3 antibodies specifically binding to SE36 prevents highly effectively growth of the protozoa in the red blood cells to inhibit fever and cerebral malaria, and further prevent the death.

Antigenic polypeptide SE36 of malaria plasmodium, process for purification thereof, and vaccine and diagnostic agent using the antigen

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Toshihiro Horii