Vaccine comprising protein nmb0964 from neisseria meningitidis

Abstract

The present invention relates to immunogenic compositions comprising neisserial blebs with upregulated levels of the NMB0964 antigens such that bactericidal antibodies are generated against said antigen. It has been found for the first time that this antigen's expression is zinc regulated and therefore methods are provided to upregulated expression through removal of the zinc repression mechanism of the cell or promoter, or through removal of zinc from the culture medium.

1 . An immunogenic composition comprising:
 (a) a Zn2+ salt;   (b) a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient; and   (c) a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of:
 (i) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having 95% identity to the amino acid sequence RDQYGLPAHSHEYDDCHADIIWQKSLINKRYLQLYPHLLTEEDIDYDNPGLSCGFHDDDNAHAHT HS (SEQ NO: 18), and 
 (ii) a polypeptide comprising an immunogenic fragment of 20 or more contiguous amino acids of the amino acid sequence RDQYGLPAHSHEYDDCHADIIWQKSLINKRYLQLYPHLLTEEDIDYDNPGLSCGFHDDDNAHAHT HS (SEQ NO: 18). 
   
     
     
         2 . The immunogenic composition of  claim 1  wherein the polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence RDQYGLPAHSHEYDDCHADIIWQKSLINKRYLQLYPHLLTEEDIDYDNPGLSCGFHDDDNAHAHT HS (SEQ NO: 18). 
     
     
         3 . A method of eliciting an immune response against  Neisseria , said method comprising the steps of: administering to a mammal an immunologically effective amount of an immunogenic composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         4 . A method of eliciting an immune response against  Neisseria , said method comprising the steps of: administering to a mammal an immunologically effective amount of an immunogenic composition of  claim 2 .