title: Immunogenicity of a fusion protein linking the beta subunit carboxyl terminal peptide (CTP) of human chorionic gonadotropin to the B subunit of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LTB).
abstract: Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is currently under investigation as an antigenic target in both anti-cancer and anti-fertility vaccines. Formulations studied to date show promise in clinical trials for both applications yet are expensive to produce and require frequented administration in order to maintain an effective antibody titer. We have engineered a fusion protein consisting of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin subunit B (LTB) genetically linked at its C terminus via a nine amino acid linker to the 37 amino acid carboxyl terminal peptide (CTP) of the hCG beta chain. This LTB-CTP fusion protein is stably expressed in bacteria and forms pentamers of full-length protein subunits. Purified LTB-CTP protein hCG-specific antibodies in mice without additional adjuvants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, School of Medicine, CA 94305-5402, USA.
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Rock
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Reich
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hovi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Schoolnik
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Stocker
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stevens
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000276:immunology*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011817:Rabbits; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D004768:Enterotoxins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C027538:heat-labile enterotoxin, E coli