Immunisation against chlamydia trachomatis

Abstract

The published genomic sequence of Chlamydia trachomatis reveals over 1000 putative encoded proteins but does not itself indicate which of these might be useful antigens for immunisation and vaccination or for diagnosis. This difficulty is addressed by the invention, which provides a number of C.trachomatis protein sequences suitable for vaccine production and development and/or for diagnosis purposes.

1 - 12 . (canceled)  
     
     
         13 . A medicament for the treatment or prevention of an infection due to  Chlamydia trachomatis  comprising a protein, wherein the protein is selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, 83, 85, 87, 89, 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 101, 103, 105, 107, 109, 111, 113, 115, 117, 119, 121, 123, 125, 127, 129, 131, 133, 135, 137, 139, 141, 143, 145, 147, 149, 151, 153, 155, 157, 159, 161, 163, 165, 167, 169, 171, 173, 175, 177, 179, 181, 183, 185, 187, 189, 191, 193, 195, 197, 199, 201, 203, 205, 207, 209, 211, 213, 215, 217, 219, 221, 223, 225, 227, 229, 231, 233, 235, 237, 239, 241, 243, 245, 247, 249, 251, 253, 255, 257, 259, and 261;    (b) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence having 50% or greater sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of (a); and    (c) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 7 consecutive amino acids from the amino acid sequence of (a):    
     
     
         14 . A medicament for the treatment or prevention of an infection due to  Chlamydia trachomatis  comprising a nucleic acid, wherein the nucleic acid is selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) a nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, 140, 142, 144, 146, 148, 150, 152, 154, 156, 158, 160, 162, 164, 166, 168, 170, 172, 174, 176, 178, 180, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, 192, 194, 196, 198, 200, 202, 204, 206, 208, 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 220, 222, 224, 226, 228, 230, 232, 234, 236, 238, 240, 242, 244, 246, 248, 250, 252, 254, 256, 258, 260, and 262;    (b) a nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence having 50% or greater sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence of (a); and    (c) a nucleic acid comprising a fragment of at least 7 consecutive nucleotides from the nucleotide sequence of (a).    
     
     
         15 . The medicament of claims  13  or  14 , wherein the infection is treated or prevented by the medicament eliciting an immune response which is specific to a  Chlamydia  elementary body.  
     
     
         16 . The medicament of  claim 13  or  14 , wherein the medicament neutralizes  Chlamydia trachomatis  elementary bodies.  
     
     
         17 . An immunogenic composition comprising a protein, wherein the protein is selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, 83, 85, 87, 89, 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 101, 103, 105, 107, 109, 111, 113, 115, 117, 119, 121, 123, 125, 127, 129, 131, 133, 135, 137, 139, 141, 143, 145, 147, 149, 151, 153, 155, 157, 159, 161, 163, 165, 167, 169, 171, 173, 175, 177, 179, 181, 183, 185, 187, 189, 191, 193, 195, 197, 199, 201, 203, 205, 207, 209, 211, 213, 215, 217, 219, 221, 223, 225, 227, 229, 231, 233, 235, 237, 239, 241, 243, 245, 247, 249, 251, 253, 255, 257, 259, and 261;    (b) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence having 50% or greater sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of (a); and    (c) a protein comprising a fragment of at least 7 consecutive amino acids from the amino acid sequence of (a).    
     
     
         18 . An immunogenic composition comprising a nucleic acid, wherein the nucleic acid is selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) a nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, 140, 142, 144, 146, 148, 150, 152, 154, 156, 158, 160, 162, 164, 166, 168, 170, 172, 174, 176, 178, 180, 182, 184, 186, 188, 190, 192, 194, 196, 198, 200, 202, 204, 206, 208, 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 220, 222, 224, 226, 228, 230, 232, 234, 236, 238, 240, 242, 244, 246, 248, 250, 252, 254, 256, 258, 260, and 262;    (b) a nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence having 50% or greater sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence of (a); and    (c) a nucleic acid comprising a fragment of at least 7 consecutive nucleotides from the nucleotide sequence of (a).    
     
     
         19 . A method of neutralizing  Chlamydia trachomatis  infectivity in a patient comprising the step of administering to the patient the immunogenic composition of  claim 17 , the immunogenic composition of  claim 18 , or an antibody preparation which recognizes the medicament of claim  1 .  
     
     
         20 . A method of immunizing a patient against  Chlamydia trachomatis  comprising the step of administering to the patient the immunogenic composition of  claim 17  or the immunogenic composition of  claim 18 .  
     
     
         21 . A method of raising antibodies specific for  Chlamydia trachomatis  elementary bodies comprising the step of administering to the patient the immunogenic composition of  claim 17  or the immunogenic composition of  claim 18 .  
     
     
         22 . A method of raising antibodies which recognize the medicament of claim  1  comprising the step of administering to a patient the immunogenic composition of  claim 17  or the immunogenic composition of  claim 18 .  
     
     
         23 . A method for detecting a  Chlamydia trachomatis  elementary body in a biological sample comprising the step of contacting the sample with an antibody which recognizes the medicament of claim  1 .