Antibodies to clostridium difficile spores and uses thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides antibodies that bind to the endospore of the bacterium Clostridium difficile , methods of making such antibodies, and methods of using such antibodies, including methods of detecting C. difficile endospores.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A kit comprising at least two isolated antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof, wherein each isolated antibody binds to a distinct antigenic epitope of the  Clostridium difficile  spore. 
     
     
         2 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein at least one isolated antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof binds to hypothetical protein CD1021 of  C. difficile  strain 630 having SEQ ID NO: 1, or a polypeptide fragment of hypothetical protein CD 1021. 
     
     
         3 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein at least one isolated antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof binds to putative N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase protein of  C. difficile  strain 630 having SEQ ID NO: 5, or a fragment of the putative N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase protein. 
     
     
         4 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein a first isolated antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof binds to hypothetical protein CD1021 of  C. difficile  strain 630 having SEQ ID NO: 1, or a polypeptide fragment of hypothetical protein CD 1021, and wherein a second isolated antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof binds to putative N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase protein of  C. difficile  strain 630 having SEQ ID NO: 5, or a fragment of the putative N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase protein. 
     
     
         5 . The kit of  claim 2 , wherein the polypeptide fragment of hypothetical protein CD1021 is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, and fragments thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The kit of  claim 3 , wherein the polypeptide fragment of the putative N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase protein is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, and fragments thereof. 
     
     
         7 . A method of detecting the presence of a  Clostridium difficile  spore in a sample, the method comprising contacting the sample with at least two isolated antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof, wherein each isolated antibody binds to a distinct antigenic epitope of the  C. difficile  spore. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one isolated antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof binds to hypothetical protein CD1021 of  C. difficile  strain 630 having SEQ ID NO: 1, or a polypeptide fragment of hypothetical protein CD 1021. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one isolated antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof binds to putative N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase protein of  C. difficile  strain 630 having SEQ ID NO: 5, or a fragment of the putative N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase protein. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein a first isolated antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof binds to hypothetical protein CD1021 of  C. difficile  strain 630 having SEQ ID NO: 1, or a polypeptide fragment of hypothetical protein CD 1021, and wherein a second isolated antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof binds to putative N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase protein of  C. difficile  strain 630 having SEQ ID NO: 5, or a fragment of the putative N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase protein. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the polypeptide fragment of hypothetical protein CD1021 is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, and fragments thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the polypeptide fragment of the putative N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase protein is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, and fragments thereof.