VACCINES CONTAINING RECOMBINANT PILIN AGAINST NEISSERIA GONORRHOEAE OR NEISSERIA MENINGITIDIS

摘要

The pilE genes of each of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis are cloned and their corresponding recombinant pilin proteins are expressed. In addition, a chimeric pilE gene is constructed in which the region of the pilE gene of Neisseria meningitidis class I encoding the amino-terminal region of the pilin protein is replaced by the corresponding region of the pilE gene of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The recombinant meningococcal chimeric class I pilin protein is expressed at higher levels than the pilin protein expressed by the full-length pilE gene of Neisseria meningitidis. Furthermore, a chimeric pilE gene is constructed in which the region of the pilE gene of Neisseria meningitidis class II encoding the carboxy-terminal region of the pilin protein is replaced by the corresponding region of the pilE gene of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The recombinant pilin proteins are used in vaccines to protect against disease caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Neisseria meningitidis.