PERTUSSIS TOXIN MUTANTS, BORDETELLA STRAINS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SUCH MUTANTS AND THEIR USE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANTIPERTUSSIS VACCINES

摘要

New pertussis toxin (PT) mutants are described being immunologicallyactive and having reduced or no toxicity, characterized in that atleast one of the aminoacid residues G1u129, Asp11, Trp26, Arg9,Phe50, Asp1, Arg13, Tyr130, Gly86, Ile88, Tyr89, Tyr8, Gly 44, Thr53and G1y80 of subunit's 1 aminoacid sequence is deleted andsubstituted by a different aminoacid residue selected in the groupof natural aminoacids; Bordetella strains capable of providing andsecreting said PT mutants and means and methods for obtaining themare also described.The Bordetella strains and the PT mutants produced by them areparticularly suitable for the preparation of effective cellular andacellular antipertussis vaccines.