Staphylococcus aureus polynucleotides and sequences

Abstract

The present invention provides polynucleotide sequences of the genome of Staphylococcus aureus , polypeptide sequences encoded by the polynucleotide sequences, corresponding polynucleotides and polypeptides, vectors and hosts comprising the polynucleotides, and assays and other uses thereof. The present invention further provides polynucleotide and polypeptide sequence information stored on computer readable media, and computer-based systems and methods which facilitate its use.

1 . An isolated protein-encoding nucleic acid fragment of the  Staphylococcus aureus  genome, wherein said fragment consists of the nucleotide sequence of any one of the fragments of SEQ ID NOS:1-5,191 depicted in Tables 2 and 3, or a degenerate variant thereof.  
     
     
         2 . A vector comprising any one of the fragments of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         3 . An isolated fragment of the  Staphylococcus aureus  genome, wherein said fragment modulates the expression of an operably linked open reading frame, wherein said fragment consists of the nucleotide sequence from about 10 to 200 bases in length which is 5′ to any one of the open reading frames depicted in Tables 2 and 3 or a degenerate variant thereof.  
     
     
         4 . A vector comprising any one of the fragments of the  Staphylococcus aureus  genome of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         5 . An isolated polypeptide encoded by any of the fragments of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         6 . An isolated polynucleotide molecule encoding any one of the polypeptides of  claim 5 .  
     
     
         7 . An antibody which selectively binds to any one of the polypeptides of  claim 5 .  
     
     
         8 . An isolated polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 95% identity to a  Staphylococcus aureus  polypeptide amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:5,192 to 5,255.  
     
     
         9 . The isolated polypeptide of  claim 8  wherein the isolated polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence identical to that of a  Staphylococcus aureus  polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:5,192 to 5,255.  
     
     
         10 . An isolated  Staphylococcus aureus  polypeptide antigen comprising at least one epitope derived from a  Staphylococcus aureus  polypeptide of  claim 9 .  
     
     
         11 . An isolated polypeptide antigen of  claim 10  selected from the group consisting of the epitopic sequences listed in Table 4.  
     
     
         12 . A diagnostic kit for detecting  Staphylococcus aureus  infection comprising 
 (a) an isolated polypeptide antigen of  claim 10 , and    (b) means for detecting the binding of an antibody contained in a biological fluid to said antigen.    
     
     
         13 . A vaccine composition comprising 
 a polypeptide of  claim 10  present in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.    
     
     
         14 . A method of vaccinating an individual against  Staphylococcus aureus  infection comprising, administering to an individual the vaccine composition of  claim 13 .  
     
     
         15 . A method for producing a polypeptide in a host cell comprising the steps of: 
 (a) incubating a host containing a heterologous nucleic acid molecule whose nucleotide sequence consists of any one of the fragments of  claim 1 , under conditions where said heterologous nucleic acid molecule is expressed to produce said protein, and    (b) isolating said protein.