HYBRID MOLECULES BETWEEN HEAT-LABILE ENTEROTOXIN AND CHOLERA TOXIN B SUBUNITS

摘要

Hybrid molecules between heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit (LTB) and choleratoxin B subunit (CTB) are disclosed. Such a hybridmolecule comprises an amino-acid sequence which is composed of the amino-acidsequence of mature CTB in which such amino-acidresidues are substituted with the corresponding amino-acid residues of matureLTB which impart LTB-specific epitope characteristics tosaid immunogenic mature CTB, or vice versa. In addition, a structural genecoding for such a hybrid molecule, a plasmid containing such astructural gene, and an immunogenic protein comprising such a hybrid moleculeand optionally an immunoreactive amino-acid sequence ofa prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell or a virus, are disclosed. Disclosed is alsoa vaccine, e.g. against enterotoxin-induced illness, comprisingsuch an immunogenic protein, and a method of preventing or treatingenterotoxin-induced illness in an individual.