生物法合成肠炎沙门菌糖蛋白北大核心CSCD

肠炎沙门菌(Salmonella enteritidis)是一种重要的人兽共患病原菌,在对该菌感染的预防与控制上一直存在困难,而糖蛋白疫苗的出现为其预防提供了新的思路。对于糖蛋白的合成,一般采用传统的化学交联方法,该法制备流程烦琐、生产成本高。因此,探索经济且稳定的生物合成方法非常必要。为了实现生物法合成肠炎沙门菌糖蛋白,本研究利用CRISPR/Cas9方法构建肠炎沙门菌waa L基因缺失株SEΔwaa L,使用银染的方法检测细菌外膜脂多糖(lipopolysaccharide,LPS)的合成情况。使用环形PCR方法构建了表达寡糖转移酶PglL、重组铜绿假单胞菌的外毒素(recombinant Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A,r EPA)和霍乱毒素B亚单位(cholera toxin B subunit,CTB)的表达质粒,并分别在rEPA的N端和CTB的C端加入了PilE;糖基化位点序列。将重组质粒转化到SE ΔwaaL中,诱导表达后通过Western blotting方法对糖蛋白的合成进行验证,并通过镍柱(Ni-NTA)对糖蛋白进行纯化。结果表明,waaL基因的缺失阻断了肠炎沙门菌LPS正常合成,在该缺失株中rEPA和CTB蛋白均可成功表达。此外,在表达寡糖转移酶PglL的情况下,rEPA和CTB发生了明显的糖基化,其糖基化部分为肠炎沙门菌O抗原多糖。本研究结果证明肠炎沙门菌缺失waaL基因后,在寡糖转移酶PglL的作用下可以将自身O抗原多糖链共价连接到载体蛋白rEPA和CTB上,形成糖蛋白,为生物法合成肠炎沙门菌糖蛋白的研究奠定了基础。     

肺炎克雷伯菌表面成分对小鼠细菌感染的保护作用

观察肺炎克雷伯菌 (Klebsiellapneumoniae,Kp)表面成分在小鼠体内对细菌感染的保护作用。经肺炎克雷伯菌培养液经溶菌酶、NP40溶菌后 ,再经去脂、去蛋白和有机溶剂沉淀 ,干燥获取Kp表面成分干粉。用不同剂量的Kp表面成分免疫小鼠 ,分别用大肠埃希菌和金黄色葡萄球菌攻击小鼠 ,记录小鼠死亡情况 ,并测定循环抗体效价。结果 :Kp表面成分低剂量组 (30 μg/g体重 )和高剂量组 (40 μg/g体重 )对大肠埃希菌和金黄色葡萄球菌感染有显著保护作用 ,能降低感染小鼠的死亡率。免疫后小鼠的抗体效价明显高于对照组小鼠 (P <0 0 1 )。应用Kp表面成分的小鼠对细菌感染有一定的保护作用。     

肺炎克雷伯菌表面成分对小鼠细菌感染的保护作用*

观察肺炎克雷伯菌 (Klebsiellapneumoniae,Kp)表面成分在小鼠体内对细菌感染的保护作用。经肺炎克雷伯菌培养液经溶菌酶、NP40溶菌后 ,再经去脂、去蛋白和有机溶剂沉淀 ,干燥获取Kp表面成分干粉。用不同剂量的Kp表面成分免疫小鼠 ,分别用大肠埃希菌和金黄色葡萄球菌攻击小鼠 ,记录小鼠死亡情况 ,并测定循环抗体效价。结果 :Kp表面成分低剂量组 (30 μg/g体重 )和高剂量组 (40 μg/g体重 )对大肠埃希菌和金黄色葡萄球菌感染有显著保护作用 ,能降低感染小鼠的死亡     

病原菌多糖基因簇在大肠杆菌中的克隆

目的:构建稳定的外源病原菌多糖基因簇克隆载体,为在糖基工程大肠杆菌中利用外源性多糖O-糖基化修饰靶标蛋白奠定基础。方法:PCR扩增大肠杆菌O157、甲型副伤寒沙门菌CMCC50973和铜绿假单胞杆菌CMCC10110的O-多糖合成基因簇,将多糖基因簇与细菌人工染色体p CC1BAC连接后,分别转化O-多糖合成缺陷的大肠杆菌W3110,并用相应多糖抗血清ELISA检测重组大肠杆菌是否利用外源O-多糖生成脂多糖(LPS),从而验证外源多糖基因簇克隆载体在大肠杆菌内是否能够生成相应的O-多糖;在此基础上,将构建的3种外源多糖基因簇克隆载体分别转化表达O-寡糖转移酶和蛋白底物菌毛蛋白Pil E的糖基工程大肠杆菌,用相应的抗血清进行Western印迹检测,以验证克隆的O-多糖能否修饰蛋白底物Pil E。结果:与阴性对照菌相比,带有大肠杆菌O157的O-多糖合成基因簇克隆载体和带有甲型副伤寒沙门菌CMCC50973的O-多糖合成基因簇克隆载体的重组菌ELISA呈阳性,提示大肠杆菌O157和甲型副伤寒沙门菌CMCC50973的O-多糖合成基因簇在大肠杆菌中被利用生成了相应的LPS;而带有铜绿假单胞杆菌CMCC10110的O-多糖合成基因簇克隆载体的重组菌W3110/BAC-10110则ELISA呈阴性。West-ern印迹结果显示,只有带有O157型大肠杆菌O-多糖合成基因簇克隆载体的糖基工程大肠杆菌CLM24/p MMB66EH-pil E-his/p ETtac28-pgl L/BAC-O157在相对分子质量40×103~58×103处出现了特异条带,表明菌毛蛋白Pil E被大肠杆菌O157型O-多糖O-糖基化修饰。结论:建立了大肠杆菌O157、甲型副伤寒沙门菌CMCC50973的O-多糖合成基因簇大片段的克隆载体,克隆的O157型O-多糖合成基因簇可实现O157型多糖对菌毛蛋白Pil E的修饰,从而为在大肠杆菌中建立稳定的利用外源病原菌多糖修饰靶标蛋白的糖基工程大肠杆菌提供了技术基础。     

霍乱O139血清群多糖结合疫苗的生物合成研究

目的:霍乱是由霍乱弧菌引起的一种烈性传染病,其防治已成为一个全球性的公共卫生问题。其中1992年出现的O139血清群是除O1外另一种病原体,发病数日益增多。因此,有必要寻找一种安全有效适用于各种人群的疫苗。方法:敲除霍乱弧菌O139血清群93-3株脂多糖合成途径中O抗原连接酶基因waa L,在周间质产生游离的多糖,之后转入包含来自脑膜炎奈瑟球菌的糖基转移酶和霍乱毒素B亚单位(CTB)编码序列的共表达载体,经IPTG诱导后制备全菌蛋白样品,利用抗His抗体检测糖蛋白的表达,利用Ni柱和离子交换柱对糖蛋白进行纯化,并对其进行糖定量和蛋白定量。结果:以未糖基化、相对分子质量约为14×103的底物蛋白CTB为对照,当共表达CTB和糖基转移酶Pgl L时,通过Western印迹可检测到相对分子质量约为20×103的糖基化蛋白,经Ni柱及阳离子交换柱纯化,得到纯度较高的O139群霍乱O抗原多糖结合蛋白,其纯度约为84.2%,并计算得其糖-蛋白比为0.103∶1。结论:通过生物法合成了一种霍乱O139血清群的多糖结合疫苗,为后续进行动物评价打下了基础。     

生物法合成伤寒O-糖蛋白结合疫苗及其免疫原性评估

伤寒由伤寒沙门氏菌(Salmonella Typhi)引发,至今在发展中国家仍是备受关注的重要公共卫生问题。文章通过敲除伤寒菌脂多糖合成途径中O-抗原连接酶基因,转入含脑膜炎奈瑟球菌(Neisseria meningitidis)蛋白糖基化途径中糖基转移酶的表达载体,以及改构的重组铜绿假单胞菌(Pseudomonas Aeruginosa)外毒素A(rEPA_N29)的表达载体,使细胞内能够诱导合成以伤寒O特异性多糖(O-specific polysaccharides, OPS)为目标抗原、以rEPA_N29为载体蛋白的伤寒OPS-rEPA_N29糖蛋白复合物,并对纯化所得复合物进行了免疫原性评价。ELISA测定血清抗体滴度表明,rEPA_N29作为载体蛋白能有效增加糖链的免疫原性,糖蛋白比单独的多糖能诱导产生更好的免疫应答;3次免疫、间隔3周比间隔2周IgG滴度稍有提高;而免疫过量的糖蛋白,抗O-多糖的血清抗体效价并无提升。文章为生物法制备多糖-蛋白结合疫苗提供了新思路,理论上也适用于其他革兰氏阴性菌的疫苗研发。     

肺炎克雷伯氏菌荚膜多糖的提取纯化及其对细胞免疫活性的影响

采用液体深层培养得肺炎克雷伯氏菌Kp9株发酵液,研究确立了菌体快速裂解条件:NP40 1%和胰蛋白酶25 0IUg菌体,50℃作用1h ,然后加入溶菌酶80μg/mL ,56℃作用1h ;裂解液经超滤浓缩和有机溶剂沉淀获得多糖粗品;多糖粗品先后经CTAB吸附分离,DEAE-SepharoseFastFlow离子交换和SephacrylS 30 0HR凝胶过滤纯化,得分子量分布相对均一的多糖纯品,产品得率为0.25 1g/L。采用淋巴细胞转化实验分别探讨了多糖粗品和纯品的免疫活性,研究显示荚膜多糖具有高效的体外细胞免疫活性,并具有典型的双向免疫调节作用。研究结论为肺炎克雷伯氏菌荚膜多糖的开发奠定了前期基础。     

口服幽门螺杆菌疫苗候选株对小鼠肠道菌群的影响

目的:考察口服幽门螺杆菌疫苗候选株SH02对小鼠肠道菌群的影响。方法:采用PCR扩增的方法检测疫苗用载体菌侵袭性相关基因缺失状况,用豚鼠角结膜侵袭试验进一步确证其是否具有上皮细胞侵袭能力;用小鼠口服灌胃的方式检测SH02在小鼠体内的组织分布,在肠道的存留时间与活菌数;取小鼠灌胃前(0 d)和灌胃后(2、8 d)的粪便样本,提取基因组DNA,用细菌16S r RNA基因高通量测序的方式,分析评价口服幽门螺杆菌疫苗候选株SH02对小鼠肠道正常菌群的影响。结果:载体菌FWL01侵袭性相关基因缺失,不具有对上皮细胞的侵袭能力;SH02经口服灌胃小鼠后不能侵入机体组织内部,仅在小鼠肠道可以检测到疫苗株活菌,灌胃后24、48 h肠道粪便中活菌数分别为1.19×10~5和2.42×10~3CFU/g,72和96 h在小鼠肠道粪便中没有检测到SH02活菌存在;细菌16S r RNA基因高通量测序与分析结果表明,口服幽门螺杆菌疫苗候选株SH02对小鼠肠道菌群不会产生明显的影响。结论:口服幽门螺杆菌疫苗候选株SH02对小鼠肠道正常菌群没有明显影响。     

稳定、无抗药的痢疾福氏2a和宋内双价菌苗候选株的构建

通过体内外基因重组,将大肠杆菌粘附因子cs3基因定位整合到痢疾杆菌福氏2a疫苗株T32菌染色体的asd基因内,使asd基因灭活;将来内O抗原基因克隆至无抗药性表达载体pXL378,获得重组质粒pXL390,将其转化asd-的T32受体菌,构建成福氏2a和宋内双价苗苗株FS01。实验表明:重组质粒pXL390在不带任何抗菌素基因的情况下,在asd-的T32受体菌内是稳定的。FS01株遗传稳定,能表达两种痢疾菌的PLS-O抗原,无明显毒性作用。动物试验表明,以FS01株皮下免疫的小鼠对福氏2a和宋内有毒株的腹腔攻击有100％的保护。     

细菌蛋白的免疫学特性及其作为多糖蛋白结合疫苗载体的可行性

多糖蛋白结合疫苗(polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine)是将病原菌的荚膜多糖与载体蛋白通过共价结合的方式制备而成的疫苗。在上市的多糖蛋白结合疫苗中,载体蛋白(carrier protein)预先接种或共同接种时可能介导免疫干扰,降低结合物中多糖的免疫应答,影响疫苗接种效果。另外,多糖作为疫苗抗原有血清型别的限制,疫苗中所含的血清型别无法保护所有型别的细菌感染。因此,考虑将细菌自身具有保护性的抗原蛋白作为载体蛋白,其中,肺炎链球菌溶血素蛋白、金黄色葡萄球菌蛋白、B群链球菌菌毛蛋白和沙门菌表面蛋白都是目前经过实验室证实的具有免疫原性的载体蛋白。现对这些细菌蛋白的免疫学特性及其作为多糖蛋白结合疫苗载体的可行性作一概述。     

Functional characterization of WaaL, a ligase associated with linking O-antigen polysaccharide to the core of Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide

The O antigen of Pseudomonas aeruginosa B-band lipopolysaccharide is synthesized by assembling O-antigen-repeat units at the cytoplasmic face of the inner membrane by nonprocessive glycosyltransferases, followed by polymerization on the periplasmic face. The completed chains are covalently attached to lipid A core by the O-antigen ligase, WaaL. In P. aeruginosa the process of ligating these O-antigen molecules to lipid A core is not clearly defined, and an O-antigen ligase has not been identified until this study. Using the sequence of waaL from Salmonella enterica as a template in a BLAST search, a putative waaL gene was identified in the P. aeruginosa genome. The candidate gene was amplified and cloned, and a chromosomal knockout of PAO1 waaL was generated. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from this mutant is devoid of B-band O-polysaccharides and semirough (SR-LPS, or core-plus-one O-antigen). The mutant PAO1waaL is also deficient in the production of A-band polysaccharide, a homopolymer of D-rhamnose. Complementation of the mutant with pPAJL4 containing waaL restored the production of both A-band and B-band O antigens as well as SR-LPS, indicating that the knockout was nonpolar and waaL is required for the attachment of O-antigen repeat units to the core. Mutation of waaL in PAO1 and PA14, respectively, could be complemented with waaL from either strain to restore wild-type LPS production. The waaL mutation also drastically affected the swimming and twitching motilities of the bacteria. These results demonstrate that waaL in P. aeruginosa encodes a functional O-antigen ligase that is important for cell wall integrity and motility of the bacteria.     

TLR4-dependent GM-CSF protects against lung injury in Gram-negative bacterial pneumonia

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are required for protective host defense against bacterial pathogens. However, the role of TLRs in regulating lung injury during Gram-negative bacterial pneumonia has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, experiments were performed to evaluate the role of TLR4 in pulmonary responses against Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp). Compared with wild-type (WT) (Balb/c) mice, mice with defective TLR4 signaling (TLR4(lps-d) mice) had substantially higher lung bacterial colony-forming units after intratracheal challenge with Kp, which was associated with considerably greater lung permeability and lung cell death. Reduced expression of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) mRNA and protein was noted in lungs and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of TLR4 mutant mice postintratracheal Kp compared with WT mice, and primary alveolar epithelial cells (AEC) harvested from TLR4(lps-d) mice produced significantly less GM-CSF in vitro in response to heat-killed Kp compared with WT AEC. TLR4(lps-d) AEC underwent significantly more apoptosis in response to heat-killed Kp in vitro, and treatment with GM-CSF protected these cells from apoptosis in response to Kp. Finally, intratracheal administration of GM-CSF in TLR4(lps-d) mice significantly decreased albumin leak, lung cell apoptosis, and bacteremia in Kp-infected mice. Based on these observations, we conclude that TLR4 plays a protective role on lung epithelium during Gram-negative bacterial pneumonia, an effect that is partially mediated by GM-CSF.     

Protective effect of nasal immunization of influenza virus hemagglutinin with recombinant cholera toxin B subunit as a mucosal adjuvant in mice

To develop an efficient nasal influenza vaccine, influenza A and B virus HA with rCTB as a mucosal adjuvant were administered to mice intranasally. Serum anti-HA IgG and IgA antibody responses for both HA vaccines were significantly increased in the presence of rCTB. Higher HI and neutralizing antibody titers and higher mucosal IgA antibody responses in the respiratory tract were detected when rCTB was added than without rCTB. When mice were immunized with HA vaccine with or without rCTB and challenged by intranasal administration of mouse-adapted pathogenic influenza A virus, all mice immunized with HA plus rCTB survived for seven days without any inflammatory changes in the lungs, while not all the mice immunized with HA without rCTB survived, and all of them had lung consolidations. These results demonstrate that intranasal co-administration of rCTB as a mucosal adjuvant with influenza virus HA is necessary not only for the induction of systemic and mucosal HA antibodies, but also for the protection of mice from morbidity and mortality resulting from virus infection.     

Oral vaccination against Helicobacter pylori with recombinant cholera toxin B-subunit

BACKGROUND: The innocuous pure recombinant cholera toxin B-subunit (rCTB) is very attractive as a strong adjuvant for host immunization, but little is known about rCTB's gastric mucosal immunoadjuvanticity against Helicobacter pylori. The immunoadjuvanticity of rCTB against H. pylori was tested. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Mice were immunized with sonicated H. pylori and rCTB orally or intranasally and sacrificed on day 42 after immunization. Passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) test was performed to evaluate IgE-mediated anaphylaxis with serum from mice to which H. pylori-antigen with rCTB had been administered. Immunoglobulin titer specific to H. pylori in serum, lavation of the gastrointestinal tracts and feces were examined. Gastritis in vaccinated mice after a challenge was assessed with the scoring defined from grading of gastric inflammation. H. pylori proliferation after immunization was investigated by counting colony forming units (CFU) per gram of stomach tissue. RESULTS: PCA test exhibited no reactions against the serum from mice immunized with H. pylori-antigen with rCTB administered orally and intranasally. Oral and nasal coadministrations of rCTB significantly raised systemic and mucosal immunities against H. pylori and suppressed proliferation of H. pylori in gastric mucosa. The score of gastritis in mice immunized orally was significantly higher than that of mice immunized nasally due to postimmunization gastritis. Only oral administration of rCTB suppressed H. pylori proliferation as compared with intranasal administration and without rCTB. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicated that rCTB has systemic and mucosal immunoadjuvanticities against H. pylori and that oral vaccination with rCTB might additively support antibiotic eradication.     

肠致病性大肠杆菌O45基因缺失疫苗菌株的构建及其免疫原性分析

为得到肠致病性大肠杆菌O45弱毒疫苗候选菌株,以肠致病性大肠杆菌O45为出发菌株, 利用自杀性载体pCVD442和同源重组的原理构建了O45的ler基因缺失突变菌株PEPEC O45(Δler), 并对该菌株的Vero细胞毒性、小鼠模型的安全性以及乳鼠和乳猪的被动免疫保护作用进行了研究。结果表明, O45(Δler)基因缺失突变菌株丧失了对Vero细胞的毒性作用, 并丧失了对实验小鼠的致病性, 具有良好的安全性。乳鼠和乳猪被动免疫保护性实验表明, 用该菌株分别免疫母鼠和母猪后, 乳鼠和乳猪均可通过吸吮母乳可以获得良好的被动免疫保护作用。因此本研究所构建的O45(Δler)基因缺失突变弱毒菌株可作为预防PEPEC O45感染的疫苗候选株, 为最终研制出O45的基因工程菌苗奠定基础。     

Synthesis and immunological activity of an oligosaccharide-conjugate as a vaccine candidate against Group A Streptococcus

The synthesis and immunogenicity of a tetanus toxoid (TT)-conjugate of the hexasaccharide portion of the cell-wall polysaccharide (CWPS) of the Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is described. The synthesis relies on the reaction of an allyl glycoside of the hexasaccharide with cysteamine, followed by the reaction of the resultant amine with diethyl squarate to give the monoethyl squarate adduct. Subsequent reaction with the lysine ε-amino groups on TT gives the glycoconjugate containing 30 hexasaccharide haptens per TT molecule. The immunogenicity in mice is similar to that obtained with a native CWPS–TT conjugate, validating the glycoconjugate as a vaccine candidate against GAS infections.     

Role of antibodies against outer-membrane proteins in murine resistance to infection with encapsulated Klebsiella pneumoniae

In the assessment of immunity to the encapsulated virulent strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae and its avirulent mutant defective for capsular polysaccharide (CPS), killed bacterial vaccine of both strains could protect mice equally against challenge with 100 x LD50 of encapsulated wild strain. Antisera to each strain conferred the same level of protection on naive mice upon transfer; the protective anti-mutant serum was highly capable of opsonizing the encapsulated bacteria. In addition to the common antigenic components shared by both strains, the wild strain had antigen(s) unrelated to the mutant since the protective capacity of the anti-wild serum was not affected by preabsorption with the mutant strain; the protection conferred by the anti-mutant serum was mediated by antibodies against non-capsular antigens since the antiserum did not contain antibodies against purified CPS detectable by ELISA. As possible candidates among the non-capsular antigens, outer-membrane proteins (OMPs) extracted from the mutant strain were examined for their immunogenicity. Immunoblotting of the protein-containing fraction and ELISA using LPS-free OMP suggested that a number of proteins were involved in the immune response evoked by K. pneumoniae. Furthermore, mice immunized with OMP or anti-OMP serum could overcome a lethal challenge with the wild strain. These results indicated that OMPs of K. pneumoniae are implicated as the protective antigens and may pave the way for the development of non-capsular, proteinaceous vaccines.     

Recombinant cholera toxin B subunit activates dendritic cells and enhances antitumor immunity

Activation of dendritic cells (DC) is crucial for priming of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), which have a critical role in tumor immunity, and it is considered that adjuvants are necessary for activation of DC and for enhancement of cellular immunity. In this study, we examined an adjuvant capacity of recombinant cholera toxin B subunit (rCTB), which is non-toxic subunit of cholera toxin, on maturation of murine splenic DC. After the in vitro incubation of DC with rCTB, the expression of MHC class II and B7-2 on DC was upregulated and the secretion of IL-12 from DC was enhanced. In addition, larger DC with longer dendrites were observed. These data suggest that rCTB induced DC maturation. Subsequently, we examined the induction of tumor immunity by rCTB-treated DC by employing Meth A tumor cells in mice. Pretreatment with subcutaneous injection of rCTB-treated DC pulsed with Meth A tumor lysate inhibited the growth of the tumor cells depending on the number of DC. Moreover, intratumoral injection of rCTB-treated DC pulsed with tumor lysate had therapeutic effect against established Meth A tumor. Immunization with DC activated by rCTB and the tumor lysate increased number of CTL precursor recognizing Meth A tumor. The antitumor immune response was significantly inhibited in CD8+ T cell-depleted mice, although substantial antitumor effect was observed in CD4+ T cell-depleted mice. These results indicated that rCTB acts as an adjuvant to enhance antitumor immunity through DC maturation and that CD8+ T cells play a dominant role in the tumor immunity. Being considered to be safe, rCTB may be useful as an effective adjuvant to raise immunity for a tumor in clinical application.     

Immunological features and efficacy of the reconstructed epitope vaccine CtUBE against Helicobacter pylori infection in BALB/c mice model

Urease is an essential virulence factor and colonization factor for Helicobacter pylori, of which the urease B subunit (UreB) is considered as an excellent vaccine candidate antigen. In previous study, an epitope vaccine with cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) and an epitope (UreB_321–339) named CtUBE was constructed and the mice were protected significantly after intragastric vaccination with the CtUBE liposome vaccine. However, the fusion protein CtUBE was expressed as inclusion bodies and was difficultly purified. Besides, the immunogenicity and specificity of the CtUBE vaccine was not investigated in a fairly wide and detailed way. In this study, the fusion peptide CtUBE was reconstructed and expressed as a soluble protein with pectinase signal peptide at the N terminus and the 6-his tag at its C-terminal, and then the immunogenicity, specificity, prophylactic, and therapeutic efficacy of the reconstructed CtUBE (rCtUBE) vaccine were evaluated in BALB/c mice model after purification. The experimental results indicated that mice immunized with rCtUBE could produce comparatively high level of specific antibodies which could respond to natural H. pylori urease, UreB, or the minimal epitope UreB_327–334 involved with the active site of urease, and showed effectively inhibitory effect on the enzymatic activity of urease. Besides, oral prophylactic or therapeutic immunization with rCtUBE significantly decreased H. pylori colonization compared with oral immunization with rCTB or PBS, and the protection was correlated with antigen-specific IgG, IgA, and mucosal sIgA antibody responses, and a Th2 cells response. This rCtUBE vaccine may be a promising vaccine candidate for the control of H. pylori infection.     

Nitrogen fixation in wheat provided by Klebsiella pneumoniae 342

In this report, all of the criteria necessary for the demonstration of nitrogen fixation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), the world's most important crop, are shown upon inoculation with a nitrogen-fixing bacterium, Klebsiella pneumoniae 342 (Kp342). Kp342 relieved nitrogen (N) deficiency symptoms and increased total N and N concentration in the plant. Nitrogen fixation was confirmed by 15N isotope dilution in the plant tissue and in a plant product, chlorophyll. All of these observations were in contrast to uninoculated plants, plants inoculated with a nitrogen-fixing mutant of Kp342, and plants inoculated with dead Kp342 cells. Nitrogenase reductase was produced by Kp342 in the intercellular space of the root cortex. Wild-type Kp342 and the nifH mutant colonized the interior of wheat roots in equal numbers on a fresh weight basis. The nitrogen fixation phenotype described here was specific to cv. Trenton. Inoculation of cvs. Russ or Stoa with Kp342 resulted in no relief of nitrogen deficiency symptoms.