NUCLEIC ACID-FREE BACTERIAL GHOST PREPARATION FORMED BY CO-EXPRESSION OF LYTIC AND NUCLEASE GENES

摘要

The invention relates to preparations of bacterial ghosts which are substantially free of living bacterial cells and/or nucleic acids and their use in pharmaceutical preparations. The invention also relates to a method comprising the steps of (a) providing bacterial cells comprising (i) a gene encoding a lytic protein capable of forming a tunnel structure in the bacterial membrane and (ii) a gene encoding an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing cytoplasmic components in the bacterial cells, (b) optionally cultivating the bacterial cells under conditions, wherein the lytic gene and the enzyme gene are not expressed, (c) subjecting the bacterial cells to conditions, wherein the lytic gene and the enzyme gene are expressed and the cytoplasmic components of the bacterial cells are degraded and liberated and (d) obtaining the resulting bacterial ghosts.