Neisseria gonorrhoeae lectin useful as a vaccine and diagnostic marker and means for producing this lectin
AssigneeScripps Clinic and Research Foundation
InventorsCarolyn D. Deal, Magdalene Y. H. So, H. Steven Seifert
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Abstract
A bacterial lectin isolatable from Neisseria gonorrhoeae is disclosed. This lectin binds to gonococcal carbohydrates such as gangliotetraosylceramide, has a relative molecular weight of about 22,400 daltons, and an isolectric pH value in the range of about 6.1 to about 6.4. The disclosed lectin is useful as a constituent of a vaccine against gonorrhea and as a diagnostic means for gonorrhea. A method for isolating this lectin is also disclosed, as well as means for producing it.
Claims23
An isolated bacterial lectin, obtainable from gonococci, having a relative molecular weight of about 22,400 daltons, as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and an isolectric pH value in the range of about 6.1 to about 6.4;
- said lectin having the ability to bind specifically gangliotetraosylceramide.
A method for determining the presence of lectin GCL-1 in a human's body sample comprising the steps of
- (a) obtaining a body sample from the human;
- (b) combining the obtained body sample with antibodies to GCL-1 so as to form an immunoreaction admixture;
- (c) maintaining the formed immunoreaction mixture at biological assay conditions for a time period sufficient for the anti-GCL-1 antibodies to bind to any GCL-1 present in said body sample, thereby forming an immunoreactant;
- and
- (d) assaying the maintained admixture for the presence of the immunoreactant.
A method of producing a bacterial lectin comprising the steps of:
- (1) growing a bacterial culture comprising bacteria that contain a non-chromosomal plasmid vector for propagating DNA in a transcription-translation medium which vector contains a DNA fragment capable of expressing the bacterial lectin operatively linked to base pair sequences regulating replication and expression of said DNA fragment under growth conditions appropriate for the bacterial lectin to be expressed in said culture, and
- (2) harvesting the expressed bacterial lectin from the bacterial culture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.