Barbara A Pearce

US Patent:

59289007, Jul 27, 1999

Filed:

May 18, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/245511

Inventors:

H. Robert Masure - New York NY
Barbara J. Pearce - New York NY
Elaine Tuomanen - New York NY

Assignee:

The Rockefeller University - New York NY

International Classification:

C12P 2106
A61K 3900
A61K 3902
C07K 100

US Classification:

435 693

Abstract:

The present invention relates to the identification of Gram positive bacterial exported proteins, and the genes encoding such proteins. In particular, the invention relates to adhesion associated exported proteins, and to antigens common to many or all strains of a species of Gram positive bacterium. The invention also relates to acellular vaccines to provide protection from Gram positive bacterial infection using such genes or such proteins, and to antibodies against such proteins for use in diagnosis and passive immune therapy. In specific embodiments, fragments of ten genes encoding exported proteins of S. pneumoniae are disclosed, and the functional activity of some of these proteins in adherence is demonstrated.