58AMENDED CLAIMS[received by the International Bureau on 12 March 2001 (12.03.01); original claims 8-34 replaced by new claims 8-43; remaining claims unchanged (10 pages)]
1. A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence which encodes a polypeptide selected from any of:
(a) SEQ ID NO: 2 ;
(b) an immunogenic fragment comprising at least 12 consecutive amino acids from a polypeptide of (a) ; and
(c) a polypeptide of (a) or (b) which has been modified without loss of immunogenicity, wherein said modified polypeptide is at least 75% identical in amino acid sequence to the corresponding polypeptide of (a) or (b) .
2. A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from any of :
(a) SEQ ID No: 1;
(b) a sequence which encodes a polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID No: 1;
(c) a sequence comprising at least 38 consecutive nucleotides from any one of the nucleic acid sequences of (a) and (b) ; and
(d) a sequence which encodes a polypeptide which is at least 75% identical in amino acid sequence to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID No: 1.
3. A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence which is anti-sense to the nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 or 2.
4. A nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence which encodes a fusion protein, said fusion protein
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comprising a polypeptide encoded by a nucleic acid molecule according to claim 1 and a second polypeptide.
5. The nucleic acid molecule of claim 4 wherein the second polypeptide is a heterologous signal peptide.
6. The nucleic acid molecule of claim 4 wherein the second polypeptide has adjuvant activity.
7. A nucleic acid molecule according to any one of claims 1 to 6, operatively linked to one or more expression control sequences .
8. A vaccine comprising a vaccine vector and at least one first nucleic acid selected from any of:
(i) SEQ ID No: 1;
(ii) a nucleic acid sequence which encodes a polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID No: 1;
(iii) a nucleic acid sequence comprising at least 38 consecutive nucleotides from any one of the nucleic acid sequences of (i) and (ii) ;
(iv) a nucleic acid sequence which encodes a polypeptide which is at least 75% identical in amino acid sequence to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID No: 1;
(v) a nucleic acid sequence which encodes a polypeptide whose sequence is set forth in SEQ ID No: 2;
(vi) a nucleic acid sequence which encodes an immunogenic fragment comprising at least 12 consecutive amino acids from SEQ ID No: 2; and
(vii) a nucleic acid sequence which encodes a polypeptide as defined in (i) to (v) or an immunogenic fragment
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as defined in (vi) which has been modified without loss of immunogenicity, wherein said modified polypeptide or fragment is at least 75% identical in amino acid sequence to the corresponding polypeptide of (i) to (v) or the corresponding fragment of (vi) ;
wherein each first nucleic acid is capable of being expressed and wherein the vaccine optionally comprises a second nucleic acid encoding and capable of expressing an additional polypeptide which enhances the immune response to the polypeptide expressed by the first nucleic acid.
9. A vaccine comprising a vaccine vector and at least one first nucleic acid encoding a fusion protein, wherein the fusion protein comprises:
(a) a first polypeptide selected from any of:
(i) a polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID No: 1;
(ii) a polypeptide encoded by a nucleic acid sequence comprising at least 38 consecutive nucleotides from SEQ ID NO: 1;
(iϋ) a polypeptide which is at least 75% identical in amino acid sequence to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID No: l;
(iv) a polypeptide whose sequence is set forth in SEQ ID No: 2 ;
(v) an immunogenic fragment comprising at least 12 consecutive amino acids from SEQ ID No: 2; and
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(vi) a polypeptide as defined in (i) to (iv) or an immunogenic fragment as defined in (v) which has been modified without loss of immunogenicity, wherein said modified polypeptide or fragment is at least 75% identical in amino acid sequence to the corresponding polypeptide of (i) to (iv) or the corresponding fragment of (v) ; and
(b) a second polypeptide;
wherein each first nucleic acid is capable of being expressed and wherein the vaccine optionally comprises a second nucleic acid encoding and capable of expressing an additional polypeptide which enhances the immune response to the first polypeptide.
10. The vaccine of claim 9 wherein the second polypeptide is a heterologous signal peptide.
11. The vaccine of claim 9 wherein the second polypeptide has adjuvant activity.
12. The vaccine of any one of claims 8 to 11 wherein wherein each first nucleic acid is operatively linked to one or more expression control sequences.
13. A vaccine comprising at least one first nucleic acid according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 4 to 7 and a vaccine vector wherein each first nucleic acid is expressed as a polypeptide, the vaccine optionally comprising a second nucleic acid encoding an additional polypeptide which enhances the immune response to the polypeptide expressed by said first nucleic acid.
14. The vaccine of any one of claims 8 to 13 wherein the second nucleic acid encodes an additional Chlamydia polypeptide.
15. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleic acid according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
16. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a vaccine according to any one of claims 8 to 14 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
17. A unicellular host transformed with the nucleic acid molecule of claim 7.
18. An isolated nucleic acid probe of 5 to 100 nucleotides which hybridizes under stringent conditions to the nucleic acid molecule of SEQ ID No: 1, or to a complementary or anti-sense sequence of said nucleic acid molecule.
19. An isolated primer of 10 to 40 nucleotides which hybridizes under stringent conditions to the nucleic acid molecules of SEQ ID No: 1, or to a complementary or anti-sense sequence of said nucleic acid molecule.
20. A polypeptide encoded by a nucleic acid sequence according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 4 to 7.
21. A polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from any of:
(a) SEQ ID No: 2;
(b) an immunogenic fragment comprising at least 12 consecutive amino acids from a polypeptide of (a) ,- and
(c) a polypeptide of (a) or (b) which has been modified without loss of immunogenicity, wherein said modified polypeptide is at least 75% identical in amino acid sequence to the corresponding polypeptide of (a) or (b) .
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22. A fusion protein comprising a polypeptide of claim 20 or 21 and a second polypeptide.
23. The fusion protein of claim 22 wherein the second polypeptide is a heterologous signal peptide.
24. The fusion protein of claim 22 wherein the second polypeptide has adjuvant activity.
25. A method for producing a polypeptide of claim 20 or 21, or a fusion protein of any one of claims 22 to 24, comprising the step of culturing a unicellular host of claim 17.
26. An antibody against the polypeptide of claim 20 or 21, or against a fusion protein of any one of claims 22 to 24.
27. A vaccine comprising at least one first polypeptide selected from any o :
(i) a polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID No: 1;
(ii) a polypeptide encoded by a nucleic acid sequence comprising at least 38 consecutive nucleotides from SEQ ID No: 1;
(iii) a polypeptide which is at least 75% identical in amino acid sequence to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID No: 1;
(iv) a polypeptide whose sequence is set forth in SEQ ID No: 2 ;
(v) an immunogenic fragment comprising at least 12 consecutive amino acids from SEQ ID No: 2; and
(vi) a polypeptide as defined in (i) to (iv) or an immunogenic fragment as defined in (v) which has been modified
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without loss of immunogenicity, wherein said modified polypeptide or fragment is at least 75% identical in amino acid sequence to the corresponding polypeptide of (i) to (iv) or the corresponding fragment of (v) ;
wherein the vaccine optionally comprises an additional polypeptide which enhances the immune response to the first polypeptide.
28. A vaccine comprising at least one fusion protein, wherein the fusion protein comprises:
(a) a first polypeptide selected from any of:
(i) a polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID No: 1;
(ii) a polypeptide encoded by a nucleic acid sequence comprising at least 38 consecutive nucleotides from SEQ ID No: 1;
(iii) a polypeptide which is at least 75% identical in amino acid sequence to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID No: 1;
(iv) a polypeptide whose sequence is set forth in SEQ ID No: 2 ;
(v) an immunogenic fragment comprising at least 12 consecutive amino acids from SEQ ID No:2; and
(vi) a polypeptide as defined in (i) to (iv) or an immunogenic fragment as defined in (v) which has been modified without loss of immunogenicity, wherein said modified polypeptide or fragment is at least 75% identical in amino acid sequence to the corresponding polypeptide of (i) to (iv) or the corresponding fragment of (v) ; and
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(b) a second polypeptide;
wherein the vaccine optionally comprises an additional polypeptide which enhances the immune response to the first polypeptide.
29. The vaccine of claim 28 wherein the second polypeptide is a heterologous signal peptide.
30. The vaccine of claim 28 wherein the second polypeptide has adjuvant activity.
31. A vaccine comprising at least one first polypeptide according to any one of claims 20 to 24, optionally comprising an additional polypeptide which enhances the immune response to the first polypeptide.
32. The vaccine of any one of claims 27 to 31 wherein the additional polypeptide comprises a Chlamydia polypeptide.
33. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a polypeptide according to any one of claims 20 to 24 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
34. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a vaccine according to any one of claims 27 to 32 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
35. A pharmaceutical composition comprising an antibody according to claim 26 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
36. A method for preventing or treating Chla nydia infection using:
(a) the nucleic acid of any one of claims 1 to 7;
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(b) the vaccine of any one of claims 8 to 14 and 27 to 32;
(c) the pharmaceutical composition of any one of claims 15, 16 and 33 to 35;
(d) the polypeptide of claim 20 or 21, or a fusion protein of any one of claims 22 to 24; or
(e) the antibody of claim 26.
37. A method of detecting Chlamydia infection comprising the step of assaying a body fluid of a mammal to be tested, with a component selected from any one of:
(a) the nucleic acid of any one of claims 1 to 7;
(b) the polypeptide of claim 20 or 21, or a fusion protein of any one of claims 22 to 24; and
(c) the antibody of claim 26.
38. A diagnostic kit comprising instructions for use and a component selected from any one of :
(a) the nucleic acid of any one of claims 1 to 7;
(b) the polypeptide of claim 20 or 21, or a fusion protein of any one of claims 22 to 24; and
(c) the antibody of claim 26.
39. A method for identifying a polypeptide of claim 20 or 21, or a fusion protein of any one of claims 22 to 24 which induces an immune response effective to prevent or lessen the severity of Chlamydia infection in a mammal previously immunized with polypeptide, comprising the steps of:
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(a) immunizing a mouse with the polypeptide or fusion protein; and
(b) inoculating the immunized mouse with Chlamydia;
wherein the polypeptide or fusion protein which prevents or lessens the severity of Chlamydia infection in the immunized mouse compared to a non-immunized control mouse is identified.
40. Expression plasmid pCABkl043 as shown in Figure 3.
41. A nucleic acid molecule of SEQ ID NO. 3 or 4.
42. An isolated IpxB polypeptide from Chlamydia .
43. An isolated IpxB polypeptide from Chlamydia pneumoniae .