LACTOFERRIN CLEAVAGE OF NEISSERIAL PROTEINS

摘要

Meningococcal antigens are cleaved by human lactoferrin. The invention is based on the identification of the cleavage products of this reaction, and provides a method for cleaving a neisserial polypeptide, comprising the step of mixing the polypeptide with a lactoferrin enzyme. The invention also provides polypeptides obtainable by this process (i.e. the cleavage products of the lactoferrin digestion) which might be useful in the preparation of anti-meningococcal vaccines. Proteins of particular interest are meningococcal proteins 287 and App.