title: Expression of the pneumolysin gene in Escherichia coli: rapid purification and biological properties.
abstract: The gene for pneumolysin, the thiol-activated toxin from Streptococcus pneumoniae, has been expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein has been purified using a rapid, high yield, purification procedure and has been shown to be identical with respect to N-terminal amino-acid sequence, specific activity, effect on human polymorphonuclear phagocytes and effect on human complement to the native toxin purified from the pneumococcus. This provides a large enough source of material to begin investigation of pneumolysin as a candidate for inclusion in a pneumococcal vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Leicester, U.K.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Andrew
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Boulnois
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003167:Complement Activation; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism; D010957:Plasmids; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D013301:Streptolysins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003603:Cytotoxins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013301:Streptolysins; C032290:plY protein, Streptococcus pneumoniae