Neisseria meningitidis 2086 lipoprotein shows vaccine potential.

2004 JUN 2 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Neisseria meningitidis 2086 lipoprotein shows potential for effective vaccine use.

According to recent research published in the journal Infection and Immunity, "A novel antigen that induces cross-reactive bactericidal antibodies against a number of Neisseria meningitidis strains is described. This antigen, a similar to28-kDa lipoprotein called LP2086, was first observed within a complex mixture of soluble outer membrane proteins (sOMPs) following a series of fractionation, protein purification, and proteomics steps. Approximately 95 different neisserial isolates tested positive by Western blotting and PCR screening methods for the presence of the protein and the gene encoding LP2086.

"The strains tested included isolates of N. meningitidis serogroups A, B, C, W135, and Y, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Neisseria lactamica," said Leah D. Fletcher and colleagues at Wyeth Vaccines Discovery Research. "To better understand the microheterogeneity of this protein, the 2086 genes from 63 neisserial isolates were sequenced. Two different subfamilies of LP2086 were identified based on deduced amino acid sequence homology. A high degree of amino acid sequence similarity exists within each 2086 subfamily. The highest degree of genetic diversity was seen between the two subfamilies, which share approximately 60 to 75% homology at the nucleic acid level.

"Flow cytometry ...