Mycoplasma vaccines and uses thereof

Abstract

Immunogenic proteins comprising Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides and M. mycoides subsp. capri proteins, encoding polynucleotides, a method for producing said proteins, and use of compositions to prevent M. mycoides subsp. mycoides infections are disclosed.

1 . An immunogenic protein selected from:
 (a) a fusion protein comprising two or more  Mycoplasma mycoides  proteins selected from  M. mycoides  subsp.  mycoides  (Mmm) and  M. mycoides  subsp.  capri  (Mmc) proteins;   (b) an Mmm or Mmc protein or fusion protein conjugated with an immunogenic carrier;   (c) variants of the proteins of (a) and (b); or   (d) a protein corresponding to (a) or (b) from another  Mycoplasma  strain, species or subspecies.   
     
     
         2 . The immunogenic protein of  claim 1 , wherein the Mmm or Mmc protein or fusion protein comprises an Mmm and/or Mmc protein listed in Table 1 or Table 4, variants thereof, or the corresponding proteins from another  Mycoplasma  strain, species or subspecies. 
     
     
         3 . The immunogenic protein of  claim 1 , wherein the Mmm or Mmc protein or fusion protein comprises
 (a) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NOS:2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 or 28;   (b) an Mmm protein present in the fusion of SEQ ID NO:75;   (c) an Mmm protein present in the fusion of SEQ ID NO:77;   (d) variants of (a), (b) and (c); or   (e) the corresponding protein from another  Mycoplasma  strain, species or subspecies.   
     
     
         4 . The immunogenic protein of  claim 1 , wherein the fusion protein is selected from:
 (a) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:51;   (b) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:53;   (c) a protein comprising amino acids 927-1421 of SEQ ID NO:75;   (d) a protein comprising amino acids 927-1468 of SEQ ID NO:77;   (e) variants of (a), (b), (c) and (d); or   (f) a fusion protein comprising proteins corresponding to (a), (b), (c) and (d) from another  Mycoplasma  strain, species or subspecies.   
     
     
         5 . The immunogenic protein of  claim 1 , wherein the Mmm or Mmc protein conjugated with a carrier comprises the amino acid sequence of an Mmm or Mmc protein listed in Table 4. 
     
     
         6 . The immunogenic protein of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier is an RTX toxin. 
     
     
         7 . The immunogenic protein of  claim 6 , wherein the carrier is a detoxified leukotoxin molecule. 
     
     
         8 . The immunogenic protein of  claim 7 , wherein the amino acid sequence of the protein conjugate comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NOS:55, 57, 59, 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79 or 81, or a variant thereof. 
     
     
         9 . A composition comprising at least one immunogenic protein according to  claim 1 , and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient. 
     
     
         10 . A composition comprising at least two immunogenic  Mycoplasma mycoides  subspecies  mycoides  (Mmm) and/or  Mycoplasma mycoides  subspecies  capri  (Mmc) proteins selected from the Mmm and Mmc proteins listed in Tables 1 and 4, immunogenic fragments or variants thereof, or the corresponding  Mycoplasma  proteins from another  Mycoplasma  strain, species or subspecies, and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein the  Mycoplasma  proteins are selected from two or more proteins comprising the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOS:2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28; a protein comprising amino acids 927-1421 of SEQ ID NO:75; a protein comprising amino acids 927-1468 of SEQ ID NO:77; or variants thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 10 , comprising three to five  Mycoplasma  proteins. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 10 , comprising four or five  Mycoplasma  proteins. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the proteins is selected from SEQ ID NOS:2, 4, 6, 8 or 10. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the proteins is selected from SEQ ID NOS:12, 14, 16, 18 or 20. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the proteins is selected from SEQ ID NOS:22, 24, 26 or 28. 
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein the two or more proteins are provided as a fusion protein. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein one or more of the proteins comprises an amino acid sequence with at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NOS: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 or 28. 
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 10 , further comprising an immunological adjuvant. 
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein the immunological adjuvant comprises (a) a polyphosphazine; (b) a CpG oligonucleotide or a poly (I:C); and (c) a host defense peptide. 
     
     
         21 . A DNA molecule modified for expression in  E. coli  selected from: SEQ ID NOS:1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25 or 27; or a DNA sequence that comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding an Mmm protein, wherein the DNA sequence is present in SEQ ID NOS: 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80. 
     
     
         22 . A recombinant vector comprising:
 (a) one or more DNA molecules according to  claim 21 ; and   (b) control elements that are operably linked to said molecule whereby a coding sequence in said molecule can be transcribed and translated in a host cell.   
     
     
         23 . A host cell transformed with the recombinant vector of  claim 22 . 
     
     
         24 . A method of producing a  Mycoplasma  protein comprising:
 (a) providing a population of host cells according to  claim 23 ; and   (b) culturing said population of cells under conditions whereby the protein encoded by the DNA molecule present in said recombinant vector is expressed.   
     
     
         25 . A method of treating or preventing a  Mycoplasma  infection in a vertebrate subject comprising administering a therapeutic amount of the composition of  claim 9 , to the subject. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the subject is a bovine subject. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the  Mycoplasma  infection is contagious bovine pleuropneumonia. 
     
     
         28 - 30 . (canceled)