title: The antibody response to a prototype liposome vaccine containing Neisseria meningitidis outer membrane protein P1 produced in Bacillus subtilis.
abstract: Monoclonal antibodies to the class 1 outer membrane protein P1 of Neisseria meningitidis B:15:P1.7,16 have been shown to be bactericidal and protective in an infant rat meningitis model. We have produced the P1 protein in Bacillus subtilis as inclusion bodies. When the purified and denatured protein (BacP1) was reconstituted with phosphatidylcholine into liposomes, native antigenic epitopes were formed. Such liposomes were reproducibly immunogenic in mice and guinea pigs at a low dose (1-10 micrograms of BacP1 protein) and without any other adjuvant. The resulting antisera contained high titers (enzyme immunoassay) of antibodies directed to native P1 epitopes exposed on the surface of meningococcal cells. The sera were also active with live N. meningitidis in bactericidal assays and protective in the infant rat meningitis model; all these activities were specific to the serosubtype of the P1 protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacterial Vaccine Research and Molecular Bacteriology, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Idänpään-Heikkilä
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muttilainen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wahlström
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saarinen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leinonen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarvas
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Mäkelä
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000378:metabolism*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007206:Individuality; D008081:Liposomes / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D008081:Liposomes; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic