Novel surface exposed proteins from chlamydia pneumoniae

Abstract

The invention relates to the identification of members of a gene family from the human respiratory pathogen Chlamydia pneumoniae , encoding surface exposed membrane proteins of a size of approximately 89-101 kDa, preferably about 89.6-100.3 kDa and about 56.1 kDa. The invention relates to the novel DNA sequences, the deduced amino acid sequences of the corresponding proteins and the use of the DNA sequences and the proteins in diagnosis of infections caused by C. pneumoniae , in pathology, in epidemiology, and as vaccine components.

1 . A species specific method for identifying infection of a mammal with  Chlamydia pneumoniae , said method comprising detecting in a patient or in a patient sample the presence of antibodies against one or more proteins from the outer membrane of  Chlamydia pneumoniae , said proteins being outer membrane proteins having the sequences as shown in SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, or SEQ ID NO:24, or a variant or subsequence thereof which is recognized by a species-specific antibody which specifically binds said outer membrane protein. 
     
     
         2 . Method according to  claim 1  wherein detection of nucleic acid fragments is obtained by using nucleic acid amplification. 
     
     
         3 . Method according to  claim 2 , wherein detection of nucleic acid fragments is obtained by using polymerase chain reaction. 
     
     
         4 . A nucleic acid fragment derived from  Chlamydia pneumoniae  comprising the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:21, or SEQ ID NO:23, or a variant or subsequence of said nucleotide sequence which has a sequence homology of at least 50% with any of the sequences mentioned and wherein a subsequence of 100 nucleic acids or lower shows a homology of at least 80%. 
     
     
         5 . Polyclonal monospecific antibody against the protein with the sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, or SEQ ID NO:24, or a variant or subsequence thereof. 
     
     
         6 . A diagnostic kit for the diagnosis of infection of a mammal, such as a human, with  Chlamydia pneumoniae , said kit comprising antibodies according to  claim 5 . 
     
     
         7 . A diagnostic kit for the diagnosis of infection of a mammal with  Chlamydia pneumoniae , said kit comprising a nucleic acid fragment according to  claim 4 . 
     
     
         8 . A method of immunizing a mammal against  Chlamydia pneumoniae  which comprises use of an immunologically effective amount of an outer membrane protein having the sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:22, or SEQ ID NO:24, or a variant or subsequence thereof which is recognized by a species-specific antibody which specifically binds said outer membrane protein, for immunizing a mammal against  Chlamydia pneumoniae.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the protein is in undenatured form. 
     
     
         10 . A method of immunizing a mammal against  Chlamydia pneumoniae  which comprises use of an immunologically effective amount of a nucleic acid fragment according to  claim 4 , encoding a protein which comprises one or more protective epitopes of a  Chlamydia pneumoniae  antigen, to immunize a mammal, by administering said nucleic acid fragment under conditions conducive to expression of said protein and subsequent immunization of said mammal by said protein.