Immunogenic compounds

Abstract

The invention provides BASB081 polypeptides and polynucleotides encoding BASB081 polypeptides and methods for producing such polypeptides by recombinant techniques. Also provided are diagnostic, prophylactic and therapeutic uses.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An isolated polypeptide comprising a member selected from the group consisting of 
 (a) an amino acid sequence matching one of SEQ ID NOs:2 or 4;    (b) an immunogenic polypeptide comprising a fragment sequence of at least 15 amino acids that matches an aligned contiguous segment of one of SEQ ID NOs:2 or 4;    wherein the isolated polypeptide, when administered to a subject in a suitable composition which can include an adjuvant, or a suitable carrier coupled to the polypeptide, induces an antibody or T-cell immune response to a polypeptide having the sequence of one of SEQ ID NOs:2 or 4.    
     
     
         2 . An isolated polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide of  claim 1  or the full complement to the isolated polynucleotide.  
     
     
         3 . The isolated polypeptide of  claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide is according to (a).  
     
     
         4 . An isolated polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide of  claim 3  or the full complement to the isolated polynucleotide.  
     
     
         5 . The isolated polypeptide of  claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide is according to (b).  
     
     
         6 . An isolated polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide of  claim 5  or the full complement to the isolated polynucleotide.  
     
     
         7 . The isolated polypeptide of  claim 1 , wherein the immunogenic fragment of (b) comprises at least 20 amino acids.  
     
     
         8 . The isolated polypeptide of  claim 1  wherein the isolated polypeptide of (a) consists of one of SEQ ID NOs: 2 or 4.  
     
     
         9 . An isolated polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide of  claim 8  or the full complement to the isolated polynucleotide.  
     
     
         10 . A process for expressing the polynucleotide of  claim 9  comprising transforming a host cell with an expression vector comprising the polynucleotide and culturing the host cell under conditions sufficient for expression of the polynucleotide.  
     
     
         11 . A fusion protein comprising the isolated polypeptide of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         12 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising the polynucleotide of one of SEQ ID NOs:1 or 3.  
     
     
         13 . An isolated polynucleotide segment comprising a polynucleotide sequence or the full complement of the entire length of the polynucleotide sequence, wherein the polynucleotide sequence hybridizes to the full complement of one of SEQ ID NOs:1 or 3 minus the complement of any stop codon, wherein the hybridization conditions include incubation at 42° C. in a solution comprising: 50% formamide, 5×SSC (150 mM NaCl, 15 mM trisodium citrate), 50 mM sodium phosphate (pH7.6), 5× Denhardt's solution, 10% dextran sulfate, and 20 micrograms/ml denatured, sheared salmon sperm DNA, followed by washing in 0.1×SSC at 65° C.; and, wherein the polynucleotide sequence is identical to one of SEQ ID NOs:1 or 3 minus any terminal stop codon, except that, over the entire length corresponding to one of SEQ ID NOs:1 or 3 minus any terminal stop codon, n n  nucleotides are substituted, inserted or deleted, wherein n n  satisfies the following expression 
         n   n   ≦x   n −( x   n   ·y ) 
       wherein x n  is the total number of nucleotides in one of SEQ ID NOs:1 or 3 minus any terminal stop codon, y is at least 0.95, and wherein any non-integer product of x n  and y is rounded down to the nearest integer before subtracting the product from x n ; and wherein the polynucleotide sequence detects  Moraxella catarrhalis.    
     
     
         14 . An expression vector comprising the isolated polynucleotide of  claim 2 .  
     
     
         15 . A host cell transformed with the expression vector of  claim 14 .  
     
     
         16 . A vaccine comprising the polypeptide of  claim 1  and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.  
     
     
         17 . The vaccine of  claim 16 , wherein the vaccine comprises at least one other  Moraxella catarrhalis  antigen.  
     
     
         18 . An antibody immunospecific for the polypeptide or immunogenic fragment of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         19 . A method for inducing an immune response in a mammal comprising administration of the polypeptide of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         20 . A method of diagnosing a  Moraxella catarrhalis  infection, comprising identifying a polypeptide of  claim 1 , or an antibody that is immunospecific for the polypeptide, present within a biological sample from an animal suspected of having such an infection.  
     
     
         21 . A method for inducing an immune response in a mammal comprising administration of the isolated polynucleotide of  claim 2 .  
     
     
         22 . A therapeutic composition useful in treating humans with  Moraxella catarrhalis  comprising at least one antibody directed against the polypeptide of  claim 1  and a suitable pharmaceutical carrier.