Antigen protein and nucleic acid coding for said protein

Abstract

To provide a novel antigenic protein and a nucleic acid encoding the antigenic protein, which are useful for prophylaxis, treatment and diagnosis of diseases caused by fungi including Candida albicans . An antigenic protein characterized in that the antigenic protein is recognized by antiserum derived from a mammal having Candida albicans -infection resistance; and a nucleic acid encoding an antigenic protein which is recognized by antiserum derived from a mammal having Candida albicans -infection resistance.

1 . An isolated antigenic polypeptide characterized in that the antigenic protein is recognized by antiserum from a mammal having  Candida albicans  infection resistance, wherein said antigenic polypeptide is: 
 (A-1) a polypeptide having any one of amino acid sequences as shown in SEQ ID NOs.: 2, 4, 6 and 7;    (A-2) a polypeptide encoded by a nucleic acid having any one of the nucleotide sequences as shown in SEQ ID NOs.: 11, 13, 15 and 16; and    (A-3) a polypeptide encoded by a nucleic acid capable of hybridizing with a nucleic acid according to any one of having any one of (A-1) and (A-2), or complementary thereto, under stringent conditions.    
     
     
         2 . An isolated nucleic acid encoding an antigenic polypeptide according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         3 . A method for producing an antigenic polypeptide which is recognized by antiserum from a mammal having  Candida albicans  infection resistance, characterized in that the method comprises culturing the transformant resulting from transformation with the vector which comprises the isolated nucleic acid according to  claim 2 .  
     
     
         4 . A pharmaceutical composition characterized in that the pharmaceutical composition comprises the antigenic polypeptide according to  claim 1  or the nucleic acid according to  claim 2 .  
     
     
         5 . A diagnostic composition characterized in that the diagnostic composition comprises the antigenic polypeptide according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         6 . A diagnostic composition characterized in that the diagnostic composition comprises the nucleic acid according to  claim 2 .  
     
     
         7 . An antibody capable of specifically binding to the antigenic polypeptide according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         8 . A nucleic acid capable of specifically binding to the nucleic acid according to  claim 2.