RTX TOXIN AND RELATED GENES OF VIBRIO VULNIFICUS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTACT-CYTOTOXICITY AND LETHALITY TO ANIMALS

摘要

PURPOSE: RTX toxin and related genes of Vibrio vulnificus responsible for the contact-cytotoxicity and lethality to animals are provided, thereby producing mutant strain with attenuated cytotoxicity by deletion of the cytotoxicity related genes. CONSTITUTION: The mutant strain with attenuated cytotoxicity is produced by deletion of one or more genes in RTX operon of Vibrio vulnificus which are selected from rtxB2 gene of SEQ ID NO:5, rtxD gene of SEQ ID NO:7, rtxB1 gene of SEQ ID NO:3, ORF(open reading frame) between the rtxB1 gene and rtxC protein of SEQ ID NO:11; rtxC gene of SEQ ID NO:9 and rtxA gene of SEQ ID NO:1. An alive vaccine against Vibrio vulnificus is produced by using the RTX toxin production deficient mutant strain.