DNAs AND PROTEINS OR PEPTIDES SPECIFIC TO BACTERIA OF THE SPECIES NEISSERIA MENINGITIDIS, PROCESS FOR OBTAINING THEM AND THEIR BIOLOGICAL USES

Abstract

The DNA of the invention are characterised in that they concern the whole or pan of genes, with their reading frame, to be found in Neisseria meningitidis , but not in Neisseria gonorrhoeae , or in Neisseria lactamica except the genes involved in the biosynthesis of the polysaccharide capsule, frp A, frp C, opc, por A, rotamase the sequence IC1106, IgA protease, pilline, pilc, transferrin binding proteins and opacity proteins. The invention also concerns the polypeptides corresponding to these DNA and the antibodies directed against these polypeptides. It is applicable in the prevention and the detection of meningococcus induced infections and meningitis.

1 . An isolated DNA which is specific to  Neisseria meningitidis  (Nm) and hybridizes on a Southern blot to SEQ ID NO: 10 and does not hybridize on a Southern blot to a DNA sequence of  Neisseria gonorrhoeae  (Ng) strain MS11, under the following hybridization conditions: 16 h at 65° C., with a solution comprising 0.5 M NaPO 4  pH 7.2, 0.001 M EDTA-Na, 1% bovine serum albumin and 7% sodium dodecylsulphate, followed by at least two washes in a solution comprising 40 mM Na PO 4  pH 7.2, 1 mM EDTA, and 1% SDS, the final wash being conducted at 65° C. for 5 minutes, or the complement of said isolated DNA which is specific to  Neisseria meningitidis  (Nm),
 provided that said DNA or the complement of said isolated DNA is not pilC, or a gene involved in the biosynthesis of any one of the polysaccharide capsule, IgA proteases, pilin, a protein which binds transferrin, a protein which binds lactoferin, and an opacity protein said DNA being within an islet involved in the colonization of the nasopharynx or invasion of the submucousal space or systemic dissemination of Nm.   
     
     
         2 . A composition comprising the DNA or complement of  claim 1  and a carrier. 
     
     
         3 . An isolated DNA which is specific to  Neisseria meningitidis  (Nm) and hybridizes on a Southern blot to SEQ ID NO:10 and does not hybridize on a Southern blot to a DNA sequence of  Neisseria gonorrhoeae  (Ng) strain MS11, under the following hybridization conditions: 16 h at 65° C., with a solution comprising 0.5 M NaPO 4  pH 7.2, 0.001 M EDTA-Na, 1% bovine serum albumin and 7% sodium dodecylsulphate, followed by at least two washes in a solution comprising 40 mM Na PO 4  pH 7.2, 1 mM EDTA and 1% SDS, the final wash being conducted at 65° C. for 5 minutes, or the complement of said isolated DNA which is specific to  Neisseria meningitidis  (Nm),
 provided that said DNA or the complement of said isolated DNA is not pilC, or a gene involved in the biosynthesis of any one of the polysaccharide capsule, IgA proteases, pilin, a protein which binds transferrin, a protein which binds lactoferin, and an opacity protein.   
     
     
         4 . A composition comprising the DNA or complement of  claim 3  and a carrier. 
     
     
         5 . A method of detecting  Neisseria meningitidis  (Nm) in a sample from a patient, said method comprising providing isolated sample DNA of said sample from the patient, contacting said sample DNA with the isolated DNA of  claim 1 , said contacting being performed under conditions which allow hybridization of said sample DNA and said isolated DNA, and detecting any hybridization of said sample DNA and said isolated DNA, such that said hybridization of said sample DNA and said isolated DNA specifically indicates the presence of said Nm in said sample,
 wherein said isolated DNA is specific to Nm and does not hybridize on a Southern blot to a DNA sequence of  Neisseria gonorrhoeae  (Ng) strain MS11 under the following hybridization conditions: 16 h at 65° C., with a solution comprising 0.5 M NaPO 4  pH 7.2, 0.001 M EDTA-Na, 1% bovine serum albumin and 7% sodium dodecylsulphate, followed by at least two washes in a solution comprising 40 mM Na PO 4  pH 7.2, 1 mM EDTA, and 1% SDS, the final wash being conducted at 65° C. for 5 minutes, and   wherein said isolated DNA specifically hybridizes to Nm DNA in the presence of Ng DNA.   
     
     
         6 . A method of detecting  Neisseria meningitidis  (Nm) in a sample from a patient, said method comprising providing isolated sample DNA of said sample from the patient, contacting said sample DNA with the composition of  claim 2  under conditions which allow hybridization of said sample DNA and DNA in said composition, and detecting any hybridization of said sample DNA and said DNA in said composition, such that said hybridization of said sample DNA and said DNA in said composition specifically indicates the presence of said Nm or Ng in said sample,
 wherein said DNA in said composition is specific to Nm and does not hybridize on a Southern blot to a DNA sequence of  Neisseria gonorrhoeae  strain MS11 under the following hybridization conditions: 16 h at 65° C., with a solution comprising 0.5 M NaPO 4  pH 7.2, 0.001 M EDTA-Na, 1% bovine serum albumin and 7% sodium dodecylsulphate, followed by at least two washes in a solution comprising 40 mM Na PO 4  pH 7.2, 1 mM EDTA, and 1% SDS, the final wash being conducted at 65° C. for 5 minutes, and   wherein said DNA in said composition specifically hybridizes to Nm DNA in the presence of Ng DNA.   
     
     
         7 . A method of detecting  Neisseria meningitidis  (Nm) in a sample from a patient, said method comprising providing isolated sample DNA of said sample from the patient, contacting said sample DNA with the isolated DNA of  claim 3 , said contacting being performed under conditions which allow hybridization of said sample DNA and said isolated DNA, and detecting any hybridization of said sample DNA and said isolated DNA, such that said hybridization of said sample DNA and said isolated DNA specifically indicates the presence of said Nm in said sample,
 wherein said isolated DNA is specific to Nm and does not hybridize on a Southern blot to a DNA sequence of  Neisseria gonorrhoeae  (Ng) MS11 under the following hybridization conditions: 16 h at 65° C., with a solution comprising 0.5 M NaPO 4  pH 7.2, 0.001 M EDTA-Na, 1% bovine serum albumin and 7% sodium dodecylsulphate, followed by at least two washes in a solution comprising 40 mM Na PO 4  pH 7.2, 1 mM EDTA, and 1% SDS, the final wash being conducted at 65° C. for 5 minutes, and   wherein said isolated DNA specifically hybridizes to Nm DNA in the presence of Ng DNA.   
     
     
         8 . A method of detecting  Neisseria meningitidis  (Nm) in a sample from a patient, said method comprising providing isolated sample DNA of said sample from the patient, contacting said sample DNA with the composition of  claim 4  under conditions which allow hybridization of said sample DNA and DNA in said composition, and detecting any hybridization of said sample DNA and said DNA in said composition, such that said hybridization of said sample DNA and said DNA in said composition specifically indicates the presence of said Nm or Ng in said sample,
 wherein said DNA in said composition is specific to Nm and does not hybridize on a Southern blot to a DNA sequence of  Neisseria gonorrhoeae  (Ng) strain MS11 under the following hybridization conditions: 16 h at 65° C., with a solution comprising 0.5 M NaPO 4  pH 7.2, 0.001 M EDTA-Na, 1% bovine serum albumin and 7% sodium dodecylsulphate, followed by at least two washes in a solution comprising 40 mM Na PO 4  pH 7.2, 1 mM EDTA, and 1% SDS, the final wash being conducted at 65° C. for 5 minutes, and   wherein said DNA in said composition specifically hybridizes to Nm DNA in the presence of Ng DNA.   
     
     
         9 . The DNA of  claim 1  wherein said  Neisseria meningitidis  (Nm) is  Neisseria meningitidis  (Nm) Z2491. 
     
     
         10 . A composition comprising the DNA or complement of  claim 9  and a carrier. 
     
     
         11 . The DNA of  claim 3  wherein said  Neisseria meningitidis  (Nm) is  Neisseria meningitidis  (Nm) Z2491. 
     
     
         12 . A composition comprising the DNA or complement of  claim 11  and a carrier. 
     
     
         13 . A method of detecting  Neisseria meningitidis  (Nm) in a sample from a patient, said method comprising providing isolated sample DNA of said sample from the patient, contacting said sample DNA with the isolated DNA of  claim 9 , said contacting being performed under conditions which allow hybridization of said sample DNA and said isolated DNA, and detecting any hybridization of said sample DNA and said isolated DNA, such that said hybridization of said sample DNA and said isolated DNA specifically indicates the presence of said Nm in said sample,
 wherein said isolated DNA is specific to Nm Z2491 and does not hybridize on a Southern blot to a DNA sequence of  Neisseria gonorrhoeae  (Ng) strain MS11 under the following hybridization conditions: 16 h at 65° C., with a solution comprising 0.5 M NaPO 4  pH 7.2, 0.001 M EDTA-Na, 1% bovine serum albumin and 7% sodium dodecylsulphate, followed by at least two washes in a solution comprising 40 mM Na PO 4  pH 7.2, 1 mM EDTA, and 1% SDS, the final wash being conducted at 65° C. for 5 minutes, and   wherein said isolated DNA specifically hybridizes to Nm DNA in the presence of Ng DNA.   
     
     
         14 . A method of detecting  Neisseria meningitidis  (Nm) in a sample from a patient, said method comprising providing isolated sample DNA of said sample from the patient, contacting said sample DNA with the composition of  claim 10  under conditions which allow hybridization of said sample DNA and DNA in said composition, and detecting any hybridization of said sample DNA and said DNA in said composition, such that said hybridization of said sample DNA and said DNA in said composition specifically indicates the presence of said Nm or Ng in said sample,
 wherein said DNA in said composition is specific to Nm Z2491 and does not hybridize on a Southern blot to a DNA sequence of  Neisseria gonorrhoeae  strain MS11 under the following hybridization conditions: 16 h at 65° C., with a solution comprising 0.5 M NaPO 4  pH 7.2, 0.001 M EDTA-Na, 1% bovine serum albumin and 7% sodium dodecylsulphate, followed by at least two washes in a solution comprising 40 mM Na PO 4  pH 7.2, 1 mM EDTA, and 1% SDS, the final wash being conducted at 65° C. for 5 minutes, and   wherein said DNA in said composition specifically hybridizes to Nm DNA in the presence of Ng DNA.   
     
     
         15 . A method of detecting  Neisseria meningitidis  (Nm) in a sample from a patient, said method comprising providing isolated sample DNA of said sample from the patient, contacting said sample DNA with the isolated DNA of  claim 11 , said contacting being performed under conditions which allow hybridization of said sample DNA and said isolated DNA, and detecting any hybridization of said sample DNA and said isolated DNA, such that said hybridization of said sample DNA and said isolated DNA specifically indicates the presence of said Nm in said sample,
 wherein said isolated DNA is specific to Nm Z2491 and does not hybridize on a Southern blot to a DNA sequence of  Neisseria gonorrhoeae  (Ng) MS11 under the following hybridization conditions: 16 h at 65° C., with a solution comprising 0.5 M NaPO 4  pH 7.2, 0.001 M EDTA-Na, 1% bovine serum albumin and 7% sodium dodecylsulphate, followed by at least two washes in a solution comprising 40 mM Na PO 4  pH 7.2, 1 mM EDTA, and 1% SDS, the final wash being conducted at 65° C. for 5 minutes, and wherein said isolated DNA specifically hybridizes to Nm DNA in the presence of Ng DNA.   
     
     
         16 . A method of detecting  Neisseria meningitidis  (Nm) in a sample from a patient, said method comprising providing isolated sample DNA of said sample from the patient, contacting said sample DNA with the composition of  claim 12  under conditions which allow hybridization of said sample DNA and DNA in said composition, and detecting any hybridization of said sample DNA and said DNA in said composition, such that said hybridization of said sample DNA and said DNA in said composition specifically indicates the presence of said Nm or Ng in said sample,
 wherein said DNA in said composition is specific to Nm Z2491 and does not hybridize on a Southern blot to a DNA sequence of  Neisseria gonorrhoeae  (Ng) strain MS11 under the following hybridization conditions: 16 h at 65° C., with a solution comprising 0.5 M NaPO 4  pH 7.2, 0.001 M EDTA-Na, 1% bovine serum albumin and 7% sodium dodecylsulphate, followed by at least two washes in a solution comprising 40 mM Na PO 4  pH 7.2, 1 mM EDTA, and 1% SDS, the final wash being conducted at 65° C. for 5 minutes, and   wherein said DNA in said composition specifically hybridizes to Nm DNA in the presence of Ng DNA.