title: A recombinant Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin (STa) fusion protein eliciting anti-STa neutralizing antibodies.
abstract: A recombinant fusion protein consisting of native Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin (STa) and a dimer of a synthetic IgG-binding fragment (ZZ), derived from Staphylococcus aureus protein A was produced in E. coli. The fusion protein (ZZSTa) was secreted in large quantities into the growth medium and recovered by affinity chromatography on IgG-Sepharose. Rabbits immunized with the fusion protein responded by producing high serum levels of anti-STa antibodies that also effectively neutralized STa toxicity in infant mice. The fusion peptide ZZSTa had a substantially decreased toxicity as compared with native STa. A polymeric form of ZZSTa separated by size fractionation was about 100 times less toxic than the monomeric fusion protein, yet both forms had the same capacity to induce neutralizing antibodies. This suggests that modified non-toxic forms of ZZSTa with retained immunogenicity may be produced and tested for their usefulness as functional components in a vaccine against diarrhoea caused by enterotoxigenic E. coli.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Immunology, Kabigen AB, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Löwenadler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lake
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elmblad
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Holmgren
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holmgren
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karlström
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Svennerholm
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A; C034151:heat stable toxin (E coli)