title: Immunization of mice against tetanus with fragments of tetanus toxin synthesized in Escherichia coli.
abstract: Two recombinant plasmids, pTet11 and pTet18, which express nontoxic protein fragments of tetanus toxin in Escherichia coli, were constructed. pTet11 protein (86 kilodaltons) is a fusion between part of the E. coli trpE protein and 441 amino acids of tetanus fragment C, and pTet18 (63 kilodaltons) consists of part of fragment B and all of fragment C of tetanus toxin. The synthesis of these proteins was induced in E. coli cultures, and the proteins were partially purified. Mice were immunized with these proteins, and dose-dependent titers of anti-tetanus toxoid antibodies were obtained. The proteins were able to induce neutralizing antibodies in mice, as demonstrated by the ability of mice immunized with 1 microgram or more of protein to survive challenge with 10 50% lethal doses of tetanus toxin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Wellcome Biotechnology, Ltd., Beckenham, Kent, England.
authors.forename: N F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Fairweather
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Lyness
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Maskell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D004926:Escherichia coli; D005796:Genes; D007109:Immunity; D051379:Mice; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D013742:Tetanus / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013744:Tetanus Toxin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013744:Tetanus Toxin; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic