Abstract
We have previously demonstrated the full-length gonococcal transferrin binding proteins (TbpA and TbpB) to be promising antigens in the development of a protective vaccine against Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In the current study we employed a genetic chimera approach fusing domains from TbpA and TbpB to the A2 domain of cholera toxin, which naturally binds in a non-covalent fashion to the B subunit of cholera toxin during assembly. For one construct, the N-terminal half of TbpB (NB) was fused to the A2 subunit of cholera toxin. In a second construct, the loop 2 region (L2) of TbpA was genetically fused between the NB domain and the A2 domain, generating a double chimera. Both chimeras were immunogenic and induced serum bactericidal and vaginal growth-inhibiting antibodies. This study highlights the potential of using protective epitopes instead of full-length proteins in the development of an efficacious gonococcal vaccine.
Publication types
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Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Antibodies, Bacterial / immunology*
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Bacterial Proteins / genetics
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Bacterial Proteins / immunology
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Cholera Toxin / chemistry
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Cholera Toxin / genetics
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Cholera Toxin / immunology
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DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
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DNA, Bacterial / genetics
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Female
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Gonorrhea / immunology
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Gonorrhea / prevention & control*
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Mice
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Microbial Viability / immunology*
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Neisseria gonorrhoeae / growth & development*
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Neisseria gonorrhoeae / immunology*
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Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
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Recombinant Fusion Proteins / immunology
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Sequence Analysis, DNA
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Transferrin-Binding Protein A / chemistry
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Transferrin-Binding Protein A / genetics
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Transferrin-Binding Protein A / immunology*
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Transferrin-Binding Protein B / chemistry
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Transferrin-Binding Protein B / genetics
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Transferrin-Binding Protein B / immunology*
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Vagina / microbiology
Substances
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Antibodies, Bacterial
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Bacterial Proteins
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DNA, Bacterial
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Recombinant Fusion Proteins
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Transferrin-Binding Protein A
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Transferrin-Binding Protein B
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Cholera Toxin
Associated data
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GENBANK/EF547129
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GENBANK/EF547130