Immunogenic compositions against tuberculosis

Abstract

Methods of preparing mutants of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with one or more disrupted genes are presented, where the disrupted genes include ctpV, rv0990c, rv0971c, and/or rv0348. Compositions containing mutants with attenuated virulence and pathogenesis, which are capable of stimulation of an immune response against tuberculosis, are described. Compositions and methods relating to immunogenic compositions, which include an attenuated M. tb strain in which the M. tb genome includes a disruption of at least one of the ctpV gene, the rv0990c gene, the rv0971c gene, and the rv0348 gene, are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An engineered  Mycobacterium tuberculosis  strain whose genome comprises a disruption of an rv0348 gene. 
     
     
         2 . An engineered attenuated  Mycobacterium tuberculosis  strain whose genome comprises a disruption of an rv0348 gene. 
     
     
         3 . An immunogenic composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and an engineered attenuated  Mycobacterium tuberculosis  strain whose genome comprises a disruption of an rv0348 gene. 
     
     
         4 . The immunogenic composition of  claim 3 , further comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvant. 
     
     
         5 . A method of stimulating an immune response comprising:
 administering to a mammal/subject an immunogenic composition according to  claim 3 .