Claims
- 1. A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence which encodes a polypeptide selected from any of:
(a) SEQ ID No: 2; (b) SEQ ID No. 4; (c). SEQ ID No. 6; (d) an immunogenic fragment comprising at least 12 consecutive amino acids from a polypeptide of (a); and (e) a polypeptide of any one of (a) to (d) which has been modified to improve its immunogenicity, wherein said modified polypeptide is at least 75% identical in amino acid sequence to the corresponding polypeptide of any one of (a) to (d).
- 2. A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from any of:
(a) SEQ ID No: 1; (b) SEQ ID No: 3; (c) SEQ ID No: 5; (d) a sequence which encodes a polypeptide encoded by any one of SEQ ID Nos: 1, 3 and 5; (e) a sequence comprising at least 38 consecutive nucleotides from any one of the nucleic acid sequences of (a) to (d); and (f) a sequence which encodes a polypeptide which is at least 75% identical in amino acid sequence to the polypeptides encoded by any one of SEQ ID Nos: 1, 3 and 5.
- 3. A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence which is anti-sense to the nucleic acid molecule of claim 1.
- 4. A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence which encodes a fusion protein, said fusion protein comprising a polypeptide encoded by a nucleic acid molecule according to claim 1 and an additional polypeptide.
- 5. The nucleic acid molecule of claim 4 wherein the additional polypeptide is a heterologous signal peptide.
- 6. The nucleic acid molecule of claim 4 wherein the additional polypeptide has adjuvant activity.
- 7. The nucleic acid molecule according to claim 1, operatively linked to one or more expression control sequences.
- 8. A vaccine comprising at least one first nucleic acid according to claim 1, and a vaccine vector wherein each first nucleic acid is expressed as a polypeptide, the vaccine optionally comprising a second nucleic acid encoding an additional polypeptide which enhances the immune response to the polypeptide expressed by said first nucleic acid.
- 9. The vaccine of claim 8 wherein the second nucleic acid encodes an additional Chlamydia polypeptide.
- 10. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleic acid according to claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
- 11. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a vaccine according to claim 8 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
- 12. A unicellular host transformed with the nucleic acid molecule of claim 7.
- 13. A nucleic acid probe of 5 to 100 nucleotides which hybridizes under stringent conditions to the nucleic acid molecule of SEQ ID No: 1, or to a homolog or complementary or anti-sense sequence of said nucleic acid molecule.
- 14. A primer of 10 to 40 nucleotides which hybridizes under stringent conditions to the nucleic acid molecules of SEQ ID No: 1, or to a homolog or complementary or anti-sense sequence of said nucleic acid molecule.
- 15. A polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from any of:
(a) SEQ ID No: 2; (b) SEQ ID No: 4; (c) SEQ ID No: 6; (d) an immunogenic fragment comprising at least 12 consecutive amino acids from a polypeptide of (a); and (e) a polypeptide of any one of (a) to (d) which has been modified to improve its immunogenicity, wherein said modified polypeptide is at least 75% identical in amino acid sequence to the corresponding polypeptide of any one of (a) to (d).
- 16. A fusion polypeptide comprising the polypeptide of claim 15 and an additional polypeptide.
- 17. The fusion polypeptide of claim 16 wherein the additional polypeptide is a heterologous signal peptide.
- 18. The fusion protein of claim 16 wherein the additional polypeptide has adjuvant activity.
- 19. A method for producing a polypeptide of claim 15, comprising the step of culturing a unicellular host according to claim 12.
- 20. An antibody against the polypeptide of claim 15.
- 21. A vaccine comprising at least one first polypeptide according to claim 15 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, optionally comprising a second polypeptide which enhances the immune response to the first polypeptide.
- 22. The vaccine of claim 21 wherein the second polypeptide comprises an additional Chlamydia polypeptide.
- 23. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a polypeptide according to claim 15 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
- 24. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a vaccine according to claim 21 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
- 25. A pharmaceutical composition comprising an antibody according to claim 20 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
- 26. A method for preventing or treating Chlamydia infection using the nucleic acid of claim 1.
- 27. A method for preventing or treating Chlamydia infection using the vaccine of claim 8.
- 28. A method for preventing or treating Chlamydia infection using the pharmaceutical composition of claim 10.
- 29. A method for preventing or treating Chlamydia infection using the polypeptide of claim 15.
- 30. A method for preventing or treating Chlamydia infection using the antibody of claim 20.
- 31. A method of detecting Chlamydia infection comprising the step of assaying a body fluid of a mammal to be tested with the nucleic acid of claim 1.
- 32. A method of detecting Chlamydia infection comprising the step of assaying a body fluid of a mammal to be tested with the polypeptide of claim 15.
- 33. A method of detecting Chlamydia infection comprising the step of assaying a body fluid of a mammal to be tested with the antibody of claim 20.
- 34. A method for identifying the polypeptide of claim 15 which induces an immune response effective to prevent or lessen the severity of Chlamydia infection in a mammal previously immunized with polypeptide, comprising the steps of:
(a) immunizing a mouse with the polypeptide; and (b) inoculating the immunized mouse with Chlamydia; wherein the polypeptide which prevents or lessens the severity of Chlamydia infection in the immunized mouse compared to a non-immunized control mouse is identified.
- 35. An expression plasmid selected from the group consisting of pCACPNM555a, pCAI555 and pCAD76 kDa.
- 36. A nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID Nos: 1, 3, 5 and 7.
- 37. A polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID Nos: 2, 4, 6 and 8.
- 38. An isolated 76 kDa protein from Chlamydia.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/132,270, filed May 3, 1999, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/141,276 filed Jun. 30, 1999.
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60132270 |
May 1999 |
US |
|
60141276 |
Jun 1999 |
US |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09564479 |
May 2000 |
US |
Child |
10608559 |
Jun 2003 |
US |