Antigenic polypeptides

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the identification of antigenic polypeptides, typically opsonic antigens, expressed by pathogenic microbes; vaccines comprising said antigens; and therapeutic antibodies directed to said antigenic polypeptides.

1 . An antigenic polypeptide, or part thereof, encoded by an isolated DNA molecule selected from the group consisting of:
 (i) a DNA molecule of SEQ ID NO.: 57;   (ii) a DNA molecule which hybridizes to the DNA molecule identified in (i) which encodes a polypeptide expressed by a pathogenic organism; and   (iii) a DNA molecule which is 85% or more homologous to the DNA sequence defined in (i) or (ii).   
     
     
         2 . An antigenic polypeptide according to  claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is represented by the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO.: 244. 
     
     
         3 . An antigenic polypeptide according to  claim 1  wherein said polypeptide is derived from a bacterium selected from the group consisting of  Staphylococcus  sp.;  Enterococcus faecalis; Mycobacterium tuberculsis; Streptococcus  group B;  Streptococcus pneumoniae; Helicobacter pylori; Neisseria gonorrhea; Streptococcus  group A;  Borrelia burgdorferi; Coccidiodes immitis; Histoplasma sapsulatum; Neisseria meningitides  type B;  Shigella flexneri; Escherichia coli ; and  Haemophilus influenza.    
     
     
         4 . An antigenic polypeptide according to  claim 4  wherein the  Staphylococcus  sp is  Staphylococcus aureus  or  Staphylococcus epidermidis.    
     
     
         5 . An antigenic polypeptide according to  claim 1 , wherein said DNA molecule hybridizes to sequence of SEQ ID NO.: 57 under stringent hybridization conditions. 
     
     
         6 . An antigenic polypeptide according to  claim 1  wherein said DNA molecule is genomic DNA. 
     
     
         7 . A method of generating an immune response in an animal against a pathogenic microbe, the method comprising administering to said animal a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO.: 244. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein said animal is human. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 7 , further comprising a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO. 127. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 7 , further comprising one or more polypeptides selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID. NOs. 123-126, 128-243, and 245-424. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein said pathogenic microbe comprises  Staphylococcus aureus.    
     
     
         12 . An antibody against an antigenic polypeptide of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . An antibody according to  claim 12 , wherein said antibody is a monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
         14 . An antibody according to  claim 12 , wherein said antibody is a chimeric antibody. 
     
     
         15 . An antibody according to  claim 12 , wherein said antibody is a humanized antibody. 
     
     
         16 . An antibody according to  claim 12 , wherein said antibody is an opsonic antibody. 
     
     
         17 . A method for preparing a hybridoma cell-line producing an antibody, the method comprising the steps of:
 i) immunizing an immunocompetent mammal with an immunogenic comprising at least one polypeptide having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS.: 123-424, or an antigenic fragment thereof;   ii) fusing lymphocytes of the immunized immunocompetent mammal with myeloma cells to form hybridoma cells;   iii) culturing the hybridoma cells to proliferate and to secrete said monoclonal antibody;   iv) screening monoclonal antibodies produced by the hybridoma cells of step (ii) for binding activity to the amino acid sequences of (i).   
     
     
         18 . A method according to  17 , further comprising: recovering the antibody. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein said hybridoma cell-line produces opsonic antibodies.