NANOBODIES WHICH BIND TO THE CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS ANTIGEN AND METHOD FOR INHIBITING INFECTION CAUSED BY CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS

摘要

The invention relates to the fields of biotechnology and medicine, more particularly to the production and use of single-domain nanobodies for detecting and blocking infection caused by pathogenic microorganisms, in particular Chlamydia trachomatis. A nanobody is claimed which specifically binds to the Chlamydia trachomatis surface antigen and has the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:2. Further, a nanobody is claimed which specifically binds to the Chlamydia trachomatis surface antigen and has the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:4. The nanobody having the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:2 inhibits the development of chlamydial infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. The nanobody having the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:4 inhibits the development of chlamydial infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. A method is claimed for inhibiting in vitro the development of chlamydial infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, which includes pre-treating Chlamydia trachomatis elementary bodies with a therapeutically effective amount of the nanobody having the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:2 before adding said elementary bodies to the target cells to be infected. A method is also claimed for inhibiting in vitro the development of chlamydial infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, which includes pre-treating Chlamydia trachomatis elementary bodies with a therapeutically effective amount of the nanobody having the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:4 before adding said elementary bodies to the target cells to be infected.