Cholera toxin chimera and its use as a staph vaccine

21:

• An S. aureus specific polypeptide antigen comprising a truncated clumping factor A (ClfA) protein.

22:

• The S. aureus specific polypeptide antigen of claim 21, wherein said ClfA protein comprises amino acids 287-559 of SEQ ID NO:
• 25, or a protein with 90% homology thereto.

23:

• A chimeric protein comprising the antigen of claim 21 and an adjuvant protein.

24:

• The chimeric protein of claim 23 comprising amino acids 24-347 of SEQ ID NO:
• 24, or a protein with 90% homology thereto.

25:

• The chimeric protein of claim 23, wherein said adjuvant is selected from the group consisting of a portion of cholera toxin, a portion of heat labile toxin, or a portion of Shiga toxin.

26:

• The chimeric protein of claim 25, wherein said adjuvant is cholera toxin subunit A or B, heat labile toxin subunit B, or Shiga toxin subunit B.

27:

• The chimeric protein of claim 26, wherein said adjuvant is cholera toxin adjuvant protein CTA2 or CTB.

28:

• The chimeric protein of claim 27 comprising an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2 or SEQ ID NO:
• 3, or a sequence with 90% homology thereto.

29:

• The chimeric protein of claim 23, wherein the chimeric protein is assembled from a first polypeptide and a second polypeptide that are non-covalently linked.

30:

• The chimeric protein of claim 23, wherein the chimeric protein is a fusion protein.

31:

• An immunogenic composition comprising the antigen of claim 21 and a carrier.

32:

• The immunogenic composition of claim 31 further comprising an adjuvant protein to form a chimeric protein.

33:

• The immunogenic composition of claim 32, wherein said adjuvant is selected from the group consisting of a portion of cholera toxin, a portion of heat labile toxin, or a portion of Shiga toxin.

34:

• The immunogenic composition of claim 33, wherein said adjuvant is cholera toxin subunit A or B, heat labile toxin subunit B, or Shiga toxin subunit B.

35:

• The immunogenic composition of claim 34 wherein said adjuvant is cholera toxin adjuvant protein CTA2 or CTB.

36:

• The immunogenic composition of claim 35, wherein said cholera toxin adjuvant comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2 or SEQ ID NO:
• 3, or a sequence with 90% homology thereto.

37:

• The immunogenic composition of claim 32, wherein the chimeric protein is assembled from a first polypeptide and a second polypeptide that are non-covalently linked.

38:

• The immunogenic composition of claim 32 wherein the chimeric protein is a fusion protein.

39:

• The immunogenic composition of claim 32 comprising amino acids 24-347 of SEQ ID NO:
• 24, or a protein with 90% homology thereto.