PROTEIN-BASED STREPTOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE VACCINES

Abstract

Vaccine compositions and methods for protecting a mammalian subject against infection with S. pneumoniae are disclosed. These vaccine compositions include as the active ingredient a purified preparation of the cell wall protein ABC transporter substrate-binding protein having the Accession No. NP_344690 and the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, optionally together with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvants.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/734,350 filed Jan. 4, 2013, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/435,781 filed May 5, 2009, abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/363,383 filed Jan. 30, 2009, abandoned, which is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/953,513 filed Sep. 30, 2004, U.S. Pat. No. 7,504,110, which is a continuation-in-part of International application no. PCT/IL2003/000271 filed Apr. 1, 2003, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/368,981 filed Apr. 2, 2002.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to vaccine compositions and methods for protecting against infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae. More specifically, the present invention provides vaccine compositions comprising S. pneumoniae cell wall or cell membrane proteins associated with an age-dependent immune response.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of disease, suffering and death worldwide. Diseases caused by infection with this agent include otitis media, pneumonia, bacteremia, sepsis and meningitis. In some cases, infected individuals may become asymptomatic carriers of S. pneumoniae, thereby readily allowing the rapid spread of this infective agent throughout the population. In view of the serious consequences of infection with S. pneumoniae, as well as its rapid spread within and between populations, there is an urgent need for safe, effective vaccination regimes. Current methods of vaccination are based on inoculation of the subject with polysaccharides obtained from the capsules of S. pneumoniae. While these polysaccharide-based vaccine preparations have been found to be reasonably efficacious when used to prevent infection in adult populations, they are significantly less useful in the treatment of young children (under two years of age) and the elderly. One commonly-used capsular polysaccharide 23-valent vaccine, for example, has been found to be only 60% effective in preventing S. pneumoniae invasive disease in elderly subjects and completely incapable of yielding neither long-term memory (Hammitt et al., 2011, Vaccine 29:2287-2295) nor clinically-useful antibody responses in the under-two age group (Shapiro E. D. et al., 1991, N. Engl. J. Med. 325: 1453-1460).

[0004] In an attempt to increase the immunogenicity of these vaccines, various compositions comprising capsular polysaccharides that have been conjugated with various carrier proteins and combined with adjuvant have been used. The resulting so-called conjugate vaccines (CV) currently include 10-13 serotypes. Although vaccines of this type constitute an improvement in relation to the un-conjugated polysaccharide vaccines, they have not overcome the problem of coverage, since they are effective against only about 10% of the 92 known capsular serotypes. Consequently, upon vaccination, pneumococcal carriage and repopulation with serotypes not present in the vaccine occurs (Dagan, 2009, Vaccine 27 Suppl 3:C22-24).

[0005] In the cases of certain other bacteria of pathogenic importance for human and other mammalian species, vaccines comprising immunogenic virulence proteins are currently being developed. Such protein-based vaccines should be of particular value in the case of vulnerable subjects such as very young children, in view of the fact that such subjects are able to produce antibodies against foreign proteins. Unfortunately, very little is known of the molecular details of the life cycle of S. pneumoniae, or of the nature of role of the various virulence factors which are known or thought to be involved in targeting and infection of susceptible hosts.

[0006] Several publications describe and characterize specific S. pneumoniae proteins. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,734, U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,840, U.S. Pat. No. 6,165,760 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,300,119 disclose S. pneumoniae GtS polypeptides of various lengths, polynucleotides encoding them and methods for producing such polypeptides by recombinant techniques. WO 02/077021 the sequences of about 2,500 S. pneumoniae genes and their corresponding amino acid sequences from type 4 strain that were identified in silico. U.S. Pat. No. 6,699,703 and its counterparts discloses about 2600 S. pneumoniae polypeptides and methods for producing such polypeptides by recombinant techniques, compositions comprising same and methods of use in the preparation of a vaccine. WO 98/23631 relates to 111 Streptococcal polynucleotides identified as having a GUG start codon, which encodes a Val residue, to polypeptides encoded by such polynucleotides, and to their production and uses. WO 02/083833 discloses 376 S. pneumoniae polypeptide antigens which are surface localized, membrane associated, secreted or exposed on the bacteria, for preparation of a diagnostic kit and or vaccine. Although suggested in part of the publications, no working examples for the use of the proteins as antigens in the production of a vaccine were provided. Furthermore, none of these references disclose or suggest that use of selected protein antigens which do no elicit immune response in infants and in elderly, improve the outcome of vaccination against S. pneumoniae.

[0007] Phosphoenolpyruvate protein phosphotransferase (PPP, also known as PtsA) is an intracellular protein that belongs to the sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS) and is also localized to the bacterial cell wall. In the cytoplasm PPP belongs to the group of phosphtransferase systems (PTS) responsible for carbohydrate internalization, which occurs concurrently with their phosphorylation. The phosphorylation of the membrane-spanning enzyme is dependent upon a group of proteins that sequentially transfer a phosphate group to this enzyme. PPP is a cytoplasmic protein that catalyzes the initial step in this process by transferring a phosphate group from phosphoenolpyruvate to a histidine in another enzyme, HrP in this system (Saier, M. H., Jr. & Reizer, J., 1992, J Bacteriol 174:1433-1438).

[0008] There is an unmet need to provide protein-based vaccine compositions which overcome the problems and drawbacks of currently available vaccines, by being effective against a wide range of different S. pneumoniae serotypes, and capable of protecting all age groups including infants and elderly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] It has now been found that it is possible to protect individuals against infection with S. pneumoniae by means of administering to said individuals a vaccine composition comprising one or more proteins isolated from the outer layers of the aforementioned bacteria and/or one or more immunonologically-active fragments, derivatives or modifications thereof. Unexpectedly, it was found that a defined set of proteins, associated with age-dependent immunity, are effective in vaccine compositions against a wide range of different S. pneumoniae serotypes, and in all age groups, including those age groups that do not produce anti-S. pneumoniae antibodies following vaccination with polysaccharide-based compositions, or those resulting in a shift in serotype distribution towards those pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides that are not present in the vaccine. These age groups include infants aged 0-4 years and elderly. Thus, the use of the set of antigens in accordance with the principle of the invention overcomes the disadvantages of known vaccines.

[0010] It is now disclosed that the antibody response to S. pneumoniae proteins increases with age in infants and this increase correlates negatively with morbidity. Antibodies to S. pneumoniae protein antigens develop in humans during the asymptomatic carriage and invasive disease. Infants below two years of age who are at most risk from pneumococcal infections do not respond efficiently to currently available polysaccharide-based vaccination. It is now unexpectedly shown, using sera longitudinally collected from healthy children, exposed to bacterial infections that there is an age-dependent enhancement of the antibody response to certain S. pneumoniae surface protein antigens, while in most other proteins there is no enhancement of immunogenicity during the checked time period. This enhancement, with age, of antibody responses against a set of specific pneumococcal surface proteins is implicated in the development of natural immunity and was used in the present invention to identify candidate antigens (herein "age dependent proteins") for use in improved vaccine compositions effective in all age groups, including infants, immunocompromized subjects and elderly.

[0011] In elderly subjects capsular polysaccharide based vaccines are only 60% effective in preventing S. pneumoniae invasive disease. An elderly subject should be vaccinated at least once in five years and the vaccination efficacy is reduced in each repeated vaccination. The protein-based vaccines of the present invention, which are T-cell dependent antigens, are expected to be more effective than the polysaccharide-based vaccines in elderly subjects.

[0012] The present invention provides a method for protecting individuals against infection with S. pneumoniae by the use of a protein-based vaccine.

[0013] The present invention further provides a protein-based vaccine that is prepared from at least one of a specific set of immunogenic cell wall and/or cell membrane proteins of S. pneumoniae, having age-dependent immune responses, or from one or more immunologically-active fragments, derivatives or modifications thereof.

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, a vaccine composition comprises as an active ingredient one or more isolated proteins selected from one or more S. pneumoniae cell wall or cell membrane proteins or immunologically-active protein fragments, derivatives or modifications thereof, which are associated with an age-dependent immune response. According to preferred embodiments, this aspect of the invention said the age-dependent S. pneumoniae cell wall and/or cell membrane protein is selected from the group consisting of: phosphoenolpyruvate protein phosphotransferase (Accession No. NP_--345645, SEQ ID NO: 4); phosphoglucomutase/phosphomannomutase family protein (Accession No. NP_--346006, SEQ ID NO:5); trigger factor (Accession No. NP_--344923, SEQ ID NO: 6); elongation factor G/tetracycline resistance protein (tetO), (Accession No. NP_--344811, SEQ ID NO: 7); NADH oxidase (Accession No. NP_--345923, SEQ ID NO: 8); Aspartyl/glutamyl-tRNA amidotransferase subunit C (Accession No. NP_--344960, SEQ ID NO: 9); cell division protein FtsZ (Accession No. NP_--346105, SEQ ID NO: 10); L-lactate dehydrogenase (Accession No. NP_--345686, SEQ ID NO: 11); glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), (Accession No. NP_--346439, SEQ ID NO: 12); fructose-bisphosphate aldolase (Accession No. NP_--345117, SEQ ID NO: 13); UDP-glucose 4-epimerase (Accession No. NP_--346261, SEQ ID NO: 14); elongation factor Tu family protein (Accession No. NP_--358192, SEQ ID NO: 15); Bifunctional GMP synthase/glutamine amidotransferase protein (Accession No. NP_--345899, SEQ ID NO: 16); glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (Accession No. NP_--346492, SEQ ID NO: 17); glutamate dehydrogenase (Accession No. NP_--345769, SEQ ID NO: 18); Elongation factor TS (Accession No. NP_--346622, SEQ ID NO: 19); phosphoglycerate kinase (TIGR4) (Accession No. AAK74657, SEQ ID NO: 20); 30S ribosomal protein 51 (Accession No. NP_--345350, SEQ ID NO: 21); 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (Accession No. NP_--357929, SEQ ID NO: 22); aminopeptidase C (Accession No. NP_--344819, SEQ ID NO: 23); carbamoyl-phosphate synthase (large subunit) (Accession No. NP_--345739, SEQ ID NO: 24); PTS system, mannose-specific IIAB components (Accession No. NP_--344822, SEQ ID NO: 25); 30S ribosomal protein S2 (Accession No. NP_--346623, SEQ ID NO: 26); dihydroorotate dehydrogenase 1B (Accession No. NP_--358460, SEQ ID NO: 27); aspartate carbamoyltransferase catalytic subunit (Accession No. NP_--345741, SEQ ID NO: 28); elongation factor Tu (Accession No. NP_--345941, SEQ ID NO: 29); Pneumococcal surface immunogenic protein A (PsipA) (Accession No. NP_--344634, SEQ ID NO: 30); phosphoglycerate kinase (R6) (Accession No. NP_--358035, SEQ ID NO: 31); ABC transporter substrate-binding protein (Accession No. NP_--344690, SEQ ID NO: 32); endopeptidase 0 (Accession No. NP_--346087, SEQ ID NO: 33); Pneumococcal surface immunogenic protein B (PsipB) (Accession No. NP_--358083, SEQ ID NO: 34); Pneumococcal surface immunogenic protein C (PsipC) (Accession No. NP_--345081, SEQ ID NO: 35).

[0015] According to a particular embodiment, the vaccine composition comprises the age-dependent protein phosphoenolpyruvate protein phosphotransferase (PPP or rPtsA) of Accession No. NP_--345645, set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, or a fragment or modification thereof wherein such fragment or modification is capable of eliciting an immune response against S. pneumoniae.

[0016] According to other embodiments, the vaccine composition comprises at least one age-dependent protein selected from the group consisting of: phosphoenolpyruvate protein phosphotransferase (PPP, Accession No. NP_--345644, SEQ ID NO: 4); Fructose-bisphosphate aldolase (NP 345117, SEQ ID NO: 13); Aminopeptidase C (NP_--344819, SEQ ID NO: 23); NADH oxidase (NOX, NP_--345923, SEQ ID NO: 8) and ABC transporter substrate-binding protein (Accession No. NP_--344690, SEQ ID NO: 32).

[0017] According to some embodiments the one or more bacterial proteins of the vaccine are effective in all age groups, including those age groups that do not produce anti-S. pneumoniae antibodies following vaccination with polysaccharide-based vaccines; or exposure to the bacteria.

[0018] According to one embodiment the age group comprises infants less than four years of age. According to another embodiment the age group comprises infants less than two years of age.

[0019] According to one embodiment the age group comprises elderly subjects. According to yet another embodiment the age group comprises children older the 4 years of age and adult subjects.

[0020] According to another embodiment the age group comprises immunocompromised subjects.

[0021] The vaccine compositions of the present invention may also contain other, non-immunologically-specific additives, diluents and excipients. For example, in many cases, the vaccine compositions of the present invention may contain, in addition to the S. pneumoniae cell-wall and/or cell-membrane protein(s), one or more adjuvants.

[0022] Pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvants include, but are not limited to water in oil emulsion, lipid emulsion, and liposomes. According to specific embodiments the adjuvant is selected from the group consisting of: Montanide®, alum, muramyl dipeptide, Gelvac®, chitin microparticles, chitosan, cholera toxin subunit B, labile toxin, AS21A, ASO2V, Intralipid®, Lipofundin, Monophosphoryl lipid A; RIBI: monophosphoryl lipid A with Mycobacterial cell wall components (muramy tri peptide), ISCOMs Immune stimulating complexes, CpG, and DNA vaccines such as pVAC. Also included are immune enhancers such as cytokines.

[0023] In some embodiments the vaccine composition is formulated for intramuscular, intranasal, oral, intraperitoneal, subcutaneous, topical, intradermal and transdermal delivery. In some embodiments the vaccine is formulated for intramuscular administration. In other embodiments the vaccine is formulated for oral administration. In yet other embodiments the vaccine is formulated for intranasal administration.

[0024] In one particularly preferred embodiment, the method of the present invention for protection of mammalian subjects against infection with S. pneumoniae comprises administering to a subject in need of such protection an effective amount of at least one cell wall and/or cell membrane proteins associated with age-related immune response, and/or immunogenically-active fragments, derivatives or modifications thereof, wherein said at least one protein is selected from the group consisting of: fructose-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA, NP_--345117, SEQ ID NO:13), Phosphoenolpyruvate protein phosphotransferase (PPP) NP_--345645 (SEQ ID NO:4), Glutamyl tRNA synthetase (GtS, NP_--346492, SEQ ID NO:17), NADH oxidase (NOX, NP_--345923, SEQ ID NO:8), Pneumococcal surface immunogenic protein B (PsipB; NP_--358083, SEQ ID NO:34), trigger factor (TF, NP_--344923, SEQ ID NO:6), FtsZ cell division protein (NP_--346105, SEQ ID NO:10), PTS system, mannose-specific IIAB components (PTS, NP_--344822, SEQ ID NO:25), and Elongation factor G (EFG, NP344811, SEQ ID NO:7).

[0025] According to a particular embodiment, the method comprises administration of the protein phosphoenolpyruvate protein phosphotransferase (PPP or rPtsA) of Accession No. NP_--345645, set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4, or a fragment or modification thereof wherein such fragment or modification is capable of eliciting an immune response against S. pneumoniae.

[0026] According to some embodiments at least one protein of the vaccine composition is an enzyme involved in glycolysis. According to a specific embodiment the at least one protein involved in glycolysis is selected from the group consisting of: L-lactate dehydrogenase (SEQ ID NO: 11), UDP-glucose 4-epimerase (SEQ ID NO: 14), fructose-bisphosphate aldolase (SEQ ID NO: 13), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (SEQ ID NO: 12), phosphoglycerate kinase (SEQ ID NO: 31) and 6-phosphoglutamate dehydrogenase (SEQ ID NO: 22).

[0027] According to another embodiment at least one protein of the vaccine composition is an enzyme involved in protein synthesis. According to a specific embodiment the protein involved in protein synthesis is glutamyl-tRNA amidotransferase (SEQ ID NO: 16) or glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (SEQ ID NO: 17).

[0028] According to other embodiments at least one protein of the vaccine composition is an enzyme belonging to the other physiological pathways selected from: NADP glutamate dehydrogenase (NP_--345769), aminopeptidase C (Accession No. NP_--344819, SEQ ID NO: 23), carbamoylphosphate synthase (Accession No. NP_--345739, SEQ ID NO: 24), aspartate carbamoyltransferase (Accession No. NP_--345741, SEQ ID NO: 28), NADH oxidase (NOX, Accession No. NP_--345923, SEQ ID NO: 8), Pneumococcal surface immunogenic protein B (PsipB, Accession No. NP_--358083, SEQ ID NO: 34); and pyruvate oxidase.

[0029] In some embodiments the cell wall and/or cell membrane proteins are lectins. According to specific embodiments the lectin proteins are selected from the group consisting of: Fructose-bisphosphate aldolase (NP 345117, SEQ ID NO:13); Aminopeptidase C (NP_--344819, SEQ ID NO:23).

[0030] According to some embodiments the S. pneumoniae proteins and/or fragments, derivatives or modifications thereof are lectins and the vaccine compositions comprising them are particularly efficacious in the prevention of localized S. pneumoniae infections. In one preferred embodiment, the localized infections are infections of mucosal tissue, particularly of nasal and other respiratory mucosa.

[0031] In alternative embodiments of the method of the invention, the cell wall and/or cell membrane proteins are non-lectins.

[0032] In specific embodiments the non-lectin proteins are selected from the group consisting of: Phosphomannomutase (NP 346006, SEQ ID NO:5); Trigger factor (NP 344923, SEQ ID NO:6); NADH oxidase (NP 345923, SEQ ID NO:8); L-lactate dehydrogenase (NP 345686, SEQ ID NO:11); Glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (NP 346492, SEQ ID NO:17).

[0033] According to other embodiments the S. pneumoniae proteins and/or their fragments, derivatives or modifications used in the aforementioned methods, compositions and vaccines are non-lectins, and the vaccine compositions are particularly efficacious in the prevention of systemic S. pneumoniae infections.

[0034] In another preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, vaccine composition comprises at least one lectin protein and at least one non-lectin protein.

[0035] The present invention is directed according to another aspect to a method for preventing infection of mammalian subjects with S. pneumoniae, wherein said method comprises administering to a subject in need of such treatment an effective amount of one or more S. pneumoniae cell wall and/or cell membrane proteins associated with age-related immune response, and/or immunogenically-active fragments, derivatives or modifications thereof, wherein said proteins are selected from the group consisting of: phosphoenolpyruvate protein phosphotransferase (Accession No. NP_--345645, SEQ ID NO:4); phosphoglucomutase/phosphomannomutase family protein (Accession No. NP_--346006, SEQ ID NO:5); trigger factor (Accession No. NP_--344923, SEQ ID NO:6); elongation factor G/tetracycline resistance protein (tetO), (Accession No. NP_--344811, SEQ ID NO:7); NADH oxidase (Accession No. NP_--345923, SEQ ID NO:8); Aspartyl/glutamyl-tRNA amidotransferase subunit C (Accession No. NP_--344960, SEQ ID NO:9); cell division protein FtsZ (Accession No. NP_--346105, SEQ ID NO:10); L-lactate dehydrogenase (Accession No. NP_--345686, SEQ ID NO:11); glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), (Accession No. NP_--346439, SEQ ID NO:12); fructose-bisphosphate aldolase (Accession No. NP_--345117, SEQ ID NO:13); UDP-glucose 4-epimerase (Accession No. NP_--346261, SEQ ID NO:14); elongation factor Tu family protein (Accession No. NP_--358192, SEQ ID NO:15); Bifunctional GMP synthase/glutamine amidotransferase protein (Accession No. NP_--345899, SEQ ID NO:16); glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (Accession No. NP_--346492, SEQ ID NO:17); glutamate dehydrogenase (Accession No. NP_--345769, SEQ ID NO:18); Elongation factor TS (Accession No. NP_--346622, SEQ ID NO:19); phosphoglycerate kinase (TIGR4) (Accession No. AAK74657, SEQ ID NO:20); 30S ribosomal protein 51 (Accession No. NP_--345350, SEQ ID NO:21); 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (Accession No. NP_--357929, SEQ ID NO:22); aminopeptidase C (Accession No. NP_--344819, SEQ ID NO:23); carbamoyl-phosphate synthase (large subunit) (Accession No. NP_--345739, SEQ ID NO:24); PTS system, mannose-specific IIAB components (Accession No. NP_--344822, SEQ ID NO:25); 30S ribosomal protein S2 (Accession No. NP_--346623, SEQ ID NO:26); dihydroorotate dehydrogenase 1B (Accession No. NP_--358460, SEQ ID NO:27); aspartate carbamoyltransferase catalytic subunit (Accession No. NP_--345741, SEQ ID NO:28); elongation factor Tu (Accession No. NP_--345941, SEQ ID NO:29); Pneumococcal surface immunogenic protein A (PsipA) (Accession No. NP_--344634, SEQ ID NO:30); phosphoglycerate kinase (R6) (Accession No. NP_--358035, SEQ ID NO:31); ABC transporter substrate-binding protein (Accession No. NP_--344690, SEQ ID NO:32); endopeptidase 0 (Accession No. NP_--346087, SEQ ID NO:33); Pneumococcal surface immunogenic protein B (PsipB) (Accession No. NP_--358083, SEQ ID NO:34); Pneumococcal surface immunogenic protein C (PsipC) (Accession No. NP 345081, SEQ ID NO:35).

[0036] Vaccine compositions of the present invention can be administered to a subject in need thereof, prior to, during or after occurrence of infection or inoculation with S. pneumoniae.

[0037] The vaccine compositions of the present invention are administered, according to one embodiment by means of injection. According to some embodiments the injection route is selected from the group consisting of: intramuscular, intradermal or subcutaneous. According to other embodiments the injection route is selected from intravenous and intraperitoneal. According to yet other embodiments the vaccine compositions of the present invention are administered by nasal or oral routes.

[0038] According to some embodiments the S. pneumoniae proteins and/or fragments, derivatives or modifications thereof are lectins and the vaccine compositions comprising them are particularly efficacious in the prevention of localized S. pneumoniae infections. In one preferred embodiment, the localized infections are infections of mucosal tissue, particularly of nasal and other respiratory mucosa.

[0039] According to other embodiments the S. pneumoniae proteins and/or their fragments, derivatives or modifications used in the aforementioned methods, compositions and vaccines are non-lectins, and the vaccine compositions are particularly efficacious in the prevention of systemic S. pneumoniae infections.

[0040] In another preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, vaccine composition comprises at least one lectin protein and at least one non-lectin protein.

[0041] In one preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, the mammalian subject is a human subject.

[0042] The aforementioned vaccine compositions may clearly be used for preventing infection of the mammalian subjects by S. pneumoniae. However, said vaccine composition is not restricted to this use alone. Rather it may be usefully employed to prevent infection by any infectious agent whose viability or proliferation may be inhibited by the antibodies generated by a host in response to the inoculation therein of the one or more S. pneumoniae proteins provided in said composition.

[0043] According to some embodiments the vaccine compositions of the present invention inhibit S. pneumoniae adhesion to cells, for example to human lung cells.

[0044] DNA vaccines comprising at least one polynucleotide sequence encoding age-dependent bacterial proteins according to the invention are also within the scope of the present invention, as well as methods for protecting a mammalian subject against infection with S. pneumoniae comprising administering such polynucleotide sequence to a subject. According to one embodiment the present invention provides a vaccine composition comprising at least one polynucleotide sequence encoding a protein selected from one or more S. pneumoniae cell wall or cell membrane proteins or immunogenically-active protein fragments, derivatives or modifications thereof, which is associated with an age-dependent immune response. According to some embodiments the DNA vaccine composition further comprises at least one polynucleotide sequence encoding an adjuvant peptide or protein. According to a preferred embodiment a DNA vaccine according to the invention is administered by intramuscular injection.

[0045] The present invention discloses, according to yet a further aspect, a method for identifying bacterial proteins having age-dependent immunogenicity. Identified age-dependent proteins can be used in vaccine compositions against pathogens expressing said proteins.

[0046] According to certain embodiments, a method for identifying a bacterial protein having age-dependent immunogenicity is provided the method comprises the steps of: providing an extract of the cell wall and/or cell membrane of the pathogen; separating the extract by 2D-electrophoresis or micro-chromatography; blotting the protein extract to a matrix; probing the blots with sera collected longitudinally from children at different ages; identifying the protein spots having intensity increasing with age; thereby identifying a protein having age-dependent immunogenicity.

[0047] According to some embodiments the protein extract is blotted onto a paper. According to other embodiments the proteins are identified using Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) technique.

[0048] According to some embodiments the pathogen is a bacterium. According to specific embodiments the bacterium is S. pneumoniae and the sera are collected from children aged 18, 30 and 42 months. According to another embodiment the pathogen is Streptococcus pyogenes.

[0049] All of the above and other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be further understood from the following illustrative and non-limitative examples of preferred embodiments thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] FIG. 1 is a photograph of a Western blot in which the sera of mice immunized with (A) recombinant GAPDH and (B) recombinant fructose-bisphosphate aldolase are seen to recognize the corresponding native proteins (CW) (in an electrophoretically-separated total cell wall protein preparation), and the corresponding recombinant protein (R).

[0051] FIG. 2 is a photograph of a Western blot in which the sera of mice immunized with pVAC constructs containing the cDNA of S. pneumoniae fructose-bipshosphate aldolase (A) and GAPDH (B) are seen to recognize the corresponding native proteins from electrophoretically-separated total cell wall protein preparation. Sera obtained following immunization with the pVAC parental plasmid did not recognize either of the two proteins (C).

[0052] FIGS. 3A and 3B each shows a graph describing the ability of recombinant GAPDH (3B) and fructose-bisphosphate aldolase (3A) to elicit a protective immune response to intraperitoneal and intranasal challenge with a lethal dose of S. pneumoniae in the mouse model system.

[0053] FIG. 4 is a photograph of a gel depicting the 297 base pair ALDO 1-containing fragment of S. pneumoniae fructose bisphosphate aldolase.

[0054] FIG. 5 depicts an agarose gel separation of ALDO 1 and the pHAT vector after restriction by Kpn1 and SacI enzymes.

[0055] FIG. 6 is a photograph of an agarose gel showing the 297 by PCR amplification product (comprising ALDO 1) obtained from colonies transformed with the pHAT/ALDO 1 construct.

[0056] FIG. 7A-E describes the vaccine potential of PPP. BALB/c mice were immunized SC with rPPP formulated with CFA (day 0) and IFA (days 14 & 28), and followed for colonization (7A-7D) or mortality (7E) following IN inoculation. (7A) strain WU2, 3 h (p<0.01), (7B) strain WU2 48 h (p<0.05), (7C) Strain D39, NP, 48 h (p<0.001), (7D) Strain D39, lung, 48 h (p<0.007), (7E) Strain WU2, 7 days of observation for mortality (p<0.05).

[0057] FIG. 8 depicts the increased survival of mice following a lethal intranasal inoculation of mice following immunization with recombinant Glutamyl tRNA synthetase (rGtS).

[0058] FIG. 9 describes survival of mice following active immunization with recombinant NADH oxidase (rNOX).

[0059] FIG. 10 survival of mice after passive IP immunization with: anti-rPsipB antiserum, control preimmune serum, or anti-non-lectin protein mixture (NL) serum. The mice were inoculated intraperitonealy with the antiserum 24 and 3 hours prior to bacterial challenge.

[0060] FIG. 11 active immunization of mice with Trigger factor (TF) using CFA/IFA/IFA immunization protocol in comparison to control (adjuvant) immunized animals.

[0061] FIG. 12 survival of mice following IP challenge with S. pneumoniae after 1 hour neutralization with anti-FtsZ cell division protein (FtsZ) antiserum, preimmune serum or anti NL serum.

[0062] FIG. 13 survival of mice following IP challenge with S. pneumoniae neutralized with anti-PTS system, mannose-specific IIAB components (PTS) antiserum, preimmune serum or NL serum.

[0063] FIG. 14 mice survival after active immunization with Elongation factor G (EFG) with Alum adjuvant in comparison to mice injected with adjuvant only as control.

[0064] FIG. 15 reconfirms the age dependent recognition of GtS by sera obtained longitudinally from children attending day care centers and a serum obtained from an adult subject.

[0065] FIG. 16 reconfirms the age dependent recognition of NOX, using rNOX, by sera obtained longitudinally from children attending day care centers.

[0066] FIG. 17A-B demonstrates surface expression and conservation of PPP in different strains. 17A. Membrane and cell-wall (CW) protein fractions from four clinical isolates were immunoblotted with mouse anti-PtsA antibodies; rPtsA positive control (upper lane). The membrane was immunoblotted with pre-immune serum as negative control (lower lane). 17B. CW and cytoplasmic protein fractions immunoblotted with rabbit anti-FabD antibodies.

[0067] FIG. 18 reconfirms the age dependent immunogenicity of PPP. rPPP was immunoblotted with sera obtained from infants attending day care centers at (18A) 7, (18B) 12, (18C) 24, and (D) 38 months of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0068] As disclosed herein for the first time, specific pneumococcal surface proteins that exhibit age-dependent immunogenicity, which coincide with the development of natural protective immunity. Proteins identified using antibodies against these proteins, present in infant sera, elicit a protective response against S. pneumoniae and can be used for protection against infection with the bacteria. It is now shown that proteins identified as exhibiting age-dependent immune response in infants, or antibodies to such proteins were able to protect mice against infection with S. pneumoniae.

[0069] Vaccine compositions according to the present invention may be used for preventing infection of the mammalian subjects by S. pneumoniae. However, said vaccine compositions may be also usefully employed to prevent adhesion of the bacteria to cells and to inhibit and reduce bacterial load and bacterial carriage. It was shown (Daniely et al., 2006, Clin. Exp. Immunol. 144, 254-263; Mizrachi Nebenzahl et al., 2007, J. Infectious Diseases 196:945-53), that antibodies to proteins identified in the present application as possessing age-dependent immunogenicity are capable of inhibiting S. pneumoniae adhesion to human lung cells.

[0070] The immunologically variant capsular polysaccharides of S. pneumoniae are used widely for the typing of clinical isolates. There are more than 90 capsular serotypes and their prevalence among human isolates varies with age, disease type and to some extent geographical origin. A 23-valent capsular polysaccharide-based vaccine is licensed for use in adults, but it does not elicit an efficient antibody response or protection in children under 2 years of age and immunocompromised patients. To overcome this lack of responsiveness to the T cell independent polysaccharide antigens in young children the conjugate pneumococcal vaccines were developed. These vaccines consist of 7 to 13 of the most prevalent S. pneumoniae capsular polysaccharides covalently linked to a protein carrier to stimulate T cell responses to the vaccine. These vaccines are highly effective in preventing invasive pneumococcal disease in infants but there are some drawbacks associated with the complexity of the manufacturing process that increase costs and the limited number of various capsular polysaccharides that can be included in the vaccine. Vaccination with conjugate pneumococcal vaccines has recently been shown to result in a shift in serotype distribution toward those pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides that are not present in the vaccine. In addition, geographical variations in the prevalence of clinically important serotypes of S. pneumoniae were described. These concerns combined with the increasing antibiotic resistance are driving research efforts to develop a wide range pneumococcal vaccine that is immunogenic in all age groups and broadly cross-protective against all or most serotypes. In addition proteins are T cell dependent antigen and are more likely to induce long lasting immunological memory.

[0071] The reasons to longitudinally start collecting sera from day-care children who are frequently exposed to S. pneumoniae, aiming to identify protein antigens involved in the development of natural immunity to S. pneumoniae, at 18 months of age were:

i. During gestation maternal IgG antibodies cross the placenta and in the initial months of life these maternal antibodies are protecting the infants. ii. Starting at 6 months of age the levels of the maternal antibodies decline and a gradual increase in the infants' antibodies start to appear. iii. Children are most susceptible to S. pneumoniae infections between 5-35 months of age. The first decrease in their susceptibility can be observed at between 12-23 months of age however the most significant decrease occurs between 24-35 months of age. It is assumed that natural strong immune response to a protein (for example Pyruvate oxidase and Enolase table 2), preceding this time period is not sufficient to protect children from S. pneumoniae infections. Therefore these proteins which did not elicit natural protection against the bacteria although an immune response against them is high in young infants are not age-dependent.

[0072] Immunodeficiency comprises a highly variable group of diseases. While primary immunodeficiency result from genetic alteration in genes affecting the immune response, acquired immunodeficiency result from infection with pathogens that affects the immune system (such as HIV-1). Other conditions that may cause diminution of the immune response and increase susceptibility to infections include malnutrition and diseases such as cancer. Most of the immunocompromised patients have acquired immunodeficiency. Malfunction of the immune system may stem from either lack of or the existence of dysfunctional B cells or T cells or macrophages. In other cases immunodeficiency may result in loss of immune memory cells. Antibody deficiencies comprise the most common types of primary immune deficiencies in human subjects. Such patients are highly susceptible to encapsulated bacterial infections. For example, patients that have B cell immunodeficiency could benefit from vaccination with the proteins of the present invention, which are T cell dependent antigens. Patients that demonstrated loss of immune memory, including HIV-1 patients, could also benefit from vaccination with the compositions of the present invention.

[0073] Thus it was suspected that the most significant development of natural immunity occurs after two years of age and it was chosen to encompass this period in the attempt to identify proteins that the immune responses to them increase with age during this period.

[0074] Vaccination of infants in the first year of age with the age-dependent bacterial proteins of the invention is expected to elicit protective immune responses to the bacteria, simulating the development of natural protective immunity that occurs at an older age.

[0075] Vaccination protects individuals (and by extension, populations) from the harmful effects of pathogenic agents, such as bacteria, by inducing a specific immunological response to said pathogenic agents in the vaccinated subject.

[0076] Vaccines are generally, but not exclusively, administered by means of injection, generally by way of the intramuscular, intradermal or subcutaneous routes. Some vaccines may also be administered by the intravenous, intraperitoneal, nasal or oral routes.

[0077] The S. pneumoniae-protein containing preparations of the invention can be administered as either single or multiple doses of an effective amount of said protein. The term "effective amount" is used herein to indicate that the vaccine is administered in an amount sufficient to induce or boost a specific immune response, such that measurable amounts (or an increase in the measurable amounts) of one or more antibodies directed against the S. pneumoniae proteins used may be detected in the serum or plasma of the vaccinated subject. The precise weight of protein or proteins that constitutes an "effective amount" will depend upon many factors including the age, weight and physical condition of the subject to be vaccinated. The precise quantity also depends upon the capacity of the subject's immune system to produce antibodies, and the degree of protection desired. Effective dosages can be readily established by one of ordinary skill in the art through routine trials establishing dose response curves. However, for the purposes of the present invention, effective amounts of the compositions of the invention can vary from 0.01-1,000 μg/ml per dose, more preferably 0.1-500 μg/ml per dose, wherein the usual dose size is 1 ml.

[0078] The vaccine compositions of the present invention, capable of protecting subject from infection or inoculation with S. pneumoniae can be administered to a subject in need thereof, prior to, during or after occurrence of infection or inoculation with the bacteria.

[0079] In general, the vaccines of the present invention would normally be administered parenterally, by the intramuscular, intravenous, intradermal or subcutaneous routes, either by injection or by a rapid infusion method. Compositions for parenteral administration include sterile aqueous or non-aqueous solutions, suspensions, and emulsions. Examples of non-aqueous solvents are propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, vegetable oils such as olive oil, and injectable organic esters such as ethyl oleate. Besides the abovementioned inert diluents and solvents, the vaccine compositions of the invention can also include adjuvants, wetting agents, emulsifying and suspending agents, or sweetening, flavoring, or perfuming agents.

[0080] The vaccines of the present invention will generally comprise an effective amount of one or more S. pneumoniae proteins as the active component, suspended in an appropriate vehicle. In the case of intranasal formulations, for example, said formulations may include vehicles that neither cause irritation to the nasal mucosa nor significantly disturb ciliary function. Diluents such as water, aqueous saline may also be added. The nasal formulations may also contain preservatives including, but not limited to, chlorobutanol and benzalkonium chloride. A surfactant may be present to enhance absorption of the subject proteins by the nasal mucosa. An additional mode of antigen delivery may include an encapsulation technique, which involves complex coacervation of gelatin and chondroitin sulfate (Azhari R, Leong K W. 1991. Complex coacervation of chondroitin sulfate and gelatin and its use for encapsulation and slow release of a model protein. Proc. Symp. Control. Rel. 18: 617; Brown K E, Leong K, Huang C H, Dalal R, Green G D, Haimes H B, Jimenez P A, Bathon J. 1998. Gelatin chondroitin 6-sulfate microspheres for delivery of therapeutic proteins to the joint. Arthritis Rheum 41: 2185-2195).

DEFINITIONS

[0081] The term "immunologically-active" is used herein in ordinary sense to refer to an entity (such as a protein or its fragment or derivative) that is capable of eliciting an immune response when introduced into a host subject.

[0082] The term "immunogenic protein" according to the present invention denotes a bacterial protein that was identified by antibodies present in human sera. "Antigenicity" refers to the ability of the bacterial protein to produce antibodies against it in the host. The term "age-related immune response" or "age dependent protein" (as used throughout this application) indicates that the ability of subjects to produce antibodies to the bacterial protein or proteins, causing said immune response, increases with age. In the case of human subjects, said ability is measured over a time scale beginning with neonates and ending at approximately four years of age and adults. In non-human mammalian subjects, the "age-related immune response" is measured over an age range extending from neonates to an age at which the immune system of the young mammal is at a stage of development comparable to that of a pre-puberty human child and adults.

[0083] It is to be noted that in the context of the present invention, the terms "fragments", "derivatives" and "modifications" are to be understood as follows:

[0084] "Fragment": a less than full length portion, or linked portions, of the native sequence of the protein in question, wherein the sequence of said portion is essentially unchanged as compared to the relevant part of the sequence of the native protein.

[0085] "Derivative": a full length, and a less than full length portion of the native sequence of the protein in question, wherein either the sequence further comprises (at its termini and/or within said sequence itself) non-native amino acid sequences, i.e. sequences which do not form part of the native protein in question. The term "derivative" also includes within its scope molecular species produced by conjugating chemical groups to the amino residue side chains of the native proteins or fragments thereof, wherein said chemical groups do not form part of the naturally-occurring amino acid residues present in said native proteins.

[0086] "Modification": a full length protein or less than full length portion thereof comprising at least one amino acid residue which is not natively present in the same location in the sequence of said protein, which have been introduced as a consequence of mutation of the native sequence (by either random or site-directed processes), by chemical modification or by chemical synthesis.

[0087] The term "infection" as used herein in the present application refers to a state in which disease-causing S. pneumoniae have invaded, colonized, spread, adhered, disseminated or multiplied in body cells or tissues. This term encompass the term "inoculation", namely the state in which the bacteria colonized the nasopharynx but there are no infection symptoms yet.

[0088] The term "lectins" is used hereinabove and hereinbelow to indicate proteins having the ability to bind specifically to polysaccharides or oligosaccharides. Conversely, the term "non-lectins" is used to refer to proteins lacking the aforementioned saccharide-binding property, or to proteins which do not bind the saccharides tested in the present application.

Vaccine Formulation

[0089] The vaccines of the present invention comprise at least one bacterial protein exhibiting an age-dependent increase antibody response in infants, fragment, derivative or modification of said bacterial protein, and optionally, an adjuvant. Formulation can contain a variety of additives, such as adjuvant, excipient, stabilizers, buffers, or preservatives. The vaccine can be formulated for administration in one of many different modes.

[0090] In preferred embodiment, the vaccine is formulated for parenteral administration, for example intramuscular administration. According to yet another embodiment the administration is orally.

[0091] According to yet another embodiment the administration is intradermal. Needles specifically designed to deposit the vaccine intradermally are known in the art as disclosed for example in 6,843,781 and 7,250,036 among others. According to other embodiments the administration is performed with a needleless injector.

[0092] According to one embodiment of the invention, the vaccine is administered intranasally. The vaccine formulation may be applied to the lymphatic tissue of the nose in any convenient manner. However, it is preferred to apply it as a liquid stream or liquid droplets to the walls of the nasal passage. The intranasal composition can be formulated, for example, in liquid form as nose drops, spray, or suitable for inhalation, as powder, as cream, or as emulsion.

[0093] In another embodiment of the invention, administration is oral and the vaccine may be presented, for example, in the form of a tablet or encased in a gelatin capsule or a microcapsule.

[0094] The formulation of these modalities is general knowledge to those with skill in the art.

[0095] Liposomes provide another delivery system for antigen delivery and presentation. Liposomes are bilayered vesicles composed of phospholipids and other sterols surrounding a typically aqueous center where antigens or other products can be encapsulated. The liposome structure is highly versatile with many types range in nanometer to micrometer sizes, from about 25 nm to about 500 μm. Liposomes have been found to be effective in delivering therapeutic agents to dermal and mucosal surfaces. Liposomes can be further modified for targeted delivery by for example, incorporating specific antibodies into the surface membrane, or altered to encapsulate bacteria, viruses or parasites. The average survival time or half life of the intact liposome structure can be extended with the inclusion of certain polymers, for example polyethylene glycol, allowing for prolonged release in vivo. Liposomes may be unilamellar or multilamellar.

[0096] The vaccine composition may be formulated by: encapsulating an antigen or an antigen/adjuvant complex in liposomes to form liposome-encapsulated antigen and mixing the liposome-encapsulated antigen with a carrier comprising a continuous phase of a hydrophobic substance. If an antigen/adjuvant complex is not used in the first step, a suitable adjuvant may be added to the liposome-encapsulated antigen, to the mixture of liposome-encapsulated antigen and carrier, or to the carrier before the carrier is mixed with the liposome-encapsulated antigen. The order of the process may depend on the type of adjuvant used. Typically, when an adjuvant like alum is used, the adjuvant and the antigen are mixed first to form an antigen/adjuvant complex followed by encapsulation of the antigen/adjuvant complex with liposomes. The resulting liposome-encapsulated antigen is then mixed with the carrier. The term "liposome-encapsulated antigen" may refer to encapsulation of the antigen alone or to the encapsulation of the antigen/adjuvant complex depending on the context. This promotes intimate contact between the adjuvant and the antigen and may, at least in part, account for the immune response when alum is used as the adjuvant. When another is used, the antigen may be first encapsulated in liposomes and the resulting liposome-encapsulated antigen is then mixed into the adjuvant in a hydrophobic substance.

[0097] In formulating a vaccine composition that is substantially free of water, antigen or antigen/adjuvant complex is encapsulated with liposomes and mixed with a hydrophobic substance. In formulating a vaccine in an emulsion of water-in-a hydrophobic substance, the antigen or antigen/adjuvant complex is encapsulated with liposomes in an aqueous medium followed by the mixing of the aqueous medium with a hydrophobic substance. In the case of the emulsion, to maintain the hydrophobic substance in the continuous phase, the aqueous medium containing the liposomes may be added in aliquots with mixing to the hydrophobic substance.

[0098] In all methods of formulation, the liposome-encapsulated antigen may be freeze-dried before being mixed with the hydrophobic substance or with the aqueous medium as the case may be. In some instances, an antigen/adjuvant complex may be encapsulated by liposomes followed by freeze-drying. In other instances, the antigen may be encapsulated by liposomes followed by the addition of adjuvant then freeze-drying to form a freeze-dried liposome-encapsulated antigen with external adjuvant. In yet another instance, the antigen may be encapsulated by liposomes followed by freeze-drying before the addition of adjuvant. Freeze-drying may promote better interaction between the adjuvant and the antigen resulting in a more efficacious vaccine.

[0099] Formulation of the liposome-encapsulated antigen into a hydrophobic substance may also involve the use of an emulsifier to promote more even distribution of the liposomes in the hydrophobic substance. Typical emulsifiers are well-known in the art and include mannide oleate (Arlacel® A), lecithin, Tween® 80, Spans® 20, 80, 83 and 85. The emulsifier is used in an amount effective to promote even distribution of the liposomes. Typically, the volume ratio (v/v) of hydrophobic substance to emulsifier is in the range of about 5:1 to about 15:1.

[0100] Microparticles and nanoparticles employ small biodegradable spheres which act as depots for vaccine delivery. The major advantage that polymer microspheres possess over other depot-effecting adjuvants is that they are extremely safe and have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the US for use in human medicine as suitable sutures and for use as a biodegradable drug delivery system (Langer R. Science. 1990; 249(4976):1527-33). The rates of copolymer hydrolysis are very well characterized, which in turn allows for the manufacture of microparticles with sustained antigen release over prolonged periods of time (O'Hagen, et al., Vaccine, 1993; 11:965-9).

[0101] Parenteral administration of microparticles elicits long-lasting immunity, especially if they incorporate prolonged release characteristics. The rate of release can be modulated by the mixture of polymers and their relative molecular weights, which will hydrolyze over varying periods of time. Without wishing to be bound to theory, the formulation of different sized particles (1 μm to 200 μm) may also contribute to long-lasting immunological responses since large particles must be broken down into smaller particles before being available for macrophage uptake. In this manner a single-injection vaccine could be developed by integrating various particle sizes, thereby prolonging antigen presentation and greatly benefiting livestock producers.

[0102] In some applications an adjuvant or excipient may be included in the vaccine formulation. Montanide® (Incomplete Freund's adjuvant) and alum for example, are preferred adjuvants for human use. The choice of the adjuvant will be determined in part by the mode of administration of the vaccine. A preferred mode of administration is intramuscular administration. Another preferred mode of administration is intranasal administration. Non-limiting examples of intranasal adjuvants include chitosan powder, PLA and PLG microspheres, QS-21, ASO2A, calcium phosphate nanoparticles (CAP); mCTA/LTB (mutant cholera toxin E112K with pentameric B subunit of heat labile enterotoxin), and detoxified E. Coli derived labile toxin.

[0103] The adjuvant used may also be, theoretically, any of the adjuvants known for peptide- or protein-based vaccines. For example: inorganic adjuvants in gel form (aluminium hydroxide/aluminium phosphate, Warren et al., 1986; calcium phosphate, Relyvelt, 1986); bacterial adjuvants such as monophosphoryl lipid A (Ribi, 1984; Baker et al., 1988) and muramyl peptides (Ellouz et al., 1974; Allison and Byars, 1991; Waters et al., 1986); particulate adjuvants such as the so-called ISCOMS ("immunostimulatory complexes", Mowat and Donachie, 1991; Takahashi et al., 1990; Thapar et al., 1991), liposomes (Mbawuike et al. 1990; Abraham, 1992; Phillips and Emili, 1992; Gregoriadis, 1990) and biodegradable microspheres (Marx et al., 1993); adjuvants based on oil emulsions and emulsifiers such as IFA ("Incomplete Freund's adjuvant" (Stuart-Harris, 1969; Warren et al., 1986), SAF (Allison and Byars, 1991), saponines (such as QS-21; Newman et al., 1992), squalene/squalane (Allison and Byars, 1991); synthetic adjuvants such as non-ionic block copolymers (Hunter et al., 1991), muramyl peptide analogs (Azuma, 1992), synthetic lipid A (Warren et al., 1986; Azuma, 1992), synthetic polynucleotides (Harrington et al., 1978) and polycationic adjuvants (WO 97/30721).

[0104] Adjuvants for use with immunogens of the present invention include aluminum or calcium salts (for example hydroxide or phosphate salts). A particularly preferred adjuvant for use herein is an aluminum hydroxide gel such as Alhydrogel®. Calcium phosphate nanoparticles (CAP) is an adjuvant being developed by Biosante, Inc (Lincolnshire, Ill.). The immunogen of interest can be either coated to the outside of particles, or encapsulated inside on the inside (He et al., 2000, Clin. Diagn. Lab. Immunol., 7, 899-903).

[0105] Another adjuvant for use with an immunogen of the present invention is an emulsion. A contemplated emulsion can be an oil-in-water emulsion or a water-in-oil emulsion. In addition to the immunogenic chimer protein particles, such emulsions comprise an oil phase of squalene, squalane, peanut oil or the like as are well known, and a dispersing agent. Non-ionic dispersing agents are preferred and such materials include mono- and di-C₁₂-C₂₄-fatty acid esters of sorbitan and mannide such as sorbitan mono-stearate, sorbitan mono-oleate and mannide mono-oleate.

[0106] Such emulsions are for example water-in-oil emulsions that comprise squalene, glycerol and a surfactant such as mannide mono-oleate (Arlacel® A), optionally with squalane, emulsified with the chimer protein particles in an aqueous phase. Alternative components of the oil-phase include alpha-tocopherol, mixed-chain di- and tri-glycerides, and sorbitan esters. Well-known examples of such emulsions include Montanide® ISA-720, and Montanide® ISA 703 (Seppic, Castres, France. Other oil-in-water emulsion adjuvants include those disclosed in WO 95/17210 and EP 0 399 843.

[0107] The use of small molecule adjuvants is also contemplated herein. One type of small molecule adjuvant useful herein is a 7-substituted-8-oxo- or 8-sulfo-guanosine derivative described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,205, U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,828 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,318. 7-allyl-8-oxoguanosine(loxoribine) has been shown to be particularly effective in inducing an antigen-(immunogen-) specific response.

[0108] A useful adjuvant includes monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL®), 3-deacyl monophosphoryl lipid A (3D-MPL®), a well-known adjuvant manufactured by Corixa Corp. of Seattle, formerly Ribi Immunochem, Hamilton, Mont. The adjuvant contains three components extracted from bacteria: monophosphoryl lipid (MPL) A, trehalose dimycolate (TDM) and cell wall skeleton (CWS) (MPL+TDM+CWS) in a 2% squalene/Tween® 80 emulsion. This adjuvant can be prepared by the methods taught in GB 2122204B.

[0109] Other compounds are structurally related to MPL® adjuvant called aminoalkyl glucosamide phosphates (AGPs) such as those available from Corixa Corp under the designation RC-529® adjuvant {2-[(R)-3-tetra-decanoyloxytetradecanoylamino]-ethyl-2-deoxy-4-O-phosphon- -o-3-O--[(R)-3-tetradecanoyloxytetra-decanoyl]-2-[(R)-3-tetra-decanoyloxyt- et-radecanoyl-amino]-p-D-glucopyranoside triethylammonium salt}. An RC-529 adjuvant is available in a squalene emulsion sold as RC-529SE and in an aqueous formulation as RC-529AF available from Corixa Corp. (see, U.S. Pat. No. 6,355,257 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,303,347; U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,918; and U.S. Publication No. 03-0092643).

[0110] Further contemplated adjuvants include synthetic oligonucleotide adjuvants containing the CpG nucleotide motif one or more times (plus flanking sequences) available from Coley Pharmaceutical Group. The adjuvant designated QS21, available from Aquila Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., is an immunologically active saponin fractions having adjuvant activity derived from the bark of the South American tree Quillaja Saponaria Molina (e.g. Quil® A), and the method of its production is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,540. Derivatives of Quil® A, for example QS21 (an HPLC purified fraction derivative of Quil® A also known as QA21), and other fractions such as QA17 are also disclosed. Semi-synthetic and synthetic derivatives of Quillaja Saponaria Molina saponins are also useful, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,977,081 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,725. The adjuvant denominated MF59 available from Chiron Corp. is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,879 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,901.

[0111] Muramyl dipeptide adjuvants are also contemplated and include N-acetyl-muramyl-L-threonyl-D-isoglutamine (thur-MDP), N-acetyl-nor-muramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine (CGP 11637, referred to as nor-MDP), and N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutaminyl-L-alanine-2-(1'-2'-dipalmityol-s- -n-glycero-3-hydroxyphosphoryloxy) ethylamine ((CGP) 1983A, referred to as MTP-PE). The so-called muramyl dipeptide analogues are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,842.

[0112] Other adjuvant mixtures include combinations of 3D-MPL and QS21 (EP 0 671 948 B1), oil-in-water emulsions comprising 3D-MPL and QS21 (WO 95/17210, PCT/EP98/05714), 3D-MPL formulated with other carriers (EP 0 689 454 B1), QS21 formulated in cholesterol-containing liposomes (WO 96/33739), or immunostimulatory oligonucleotides (WO 96/02555). Adjuvant SBAS2 (now AS02) available from SKB (now Glaxo-SmithKline) contains QS21 and MPL in an oil-in-water emulsion is also useful. Alternative adjuvants include those described in WO 99/52549 and non-particulate suspensions of polyoxyethylene ether (UK Patent Application No. 9807805.8).

[0113] The use of an adjuvant that contains one or more agonists for toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) such as an MPL® adjuvant or a structurally related compound such as an RC-529® adjuvant or a Lipid A mimetic, alone or along with an agonist for TLR-9 such as a non-methylated oligo deoxynucleotide-containing the CpG motif is also optional.

[0114] Another type of adjuvant mixture comprises a stable water-in-oil emulsion further containing aminoalkyl glucosamine phosphates such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,918. Of the aminoalkyl glucosamine phosphates the molecule known as RC-529 {(2-[(R)-3-tetradecanoyloxytetradecanoylamino]ethyl 2-deoxy-4-O-phosphono-3-O--[(R)-3-tetradecanoyloxy-tetradecanoyl]-2-[(R)-- 3-tetradecanoyloxytetra-decanoylamino]-p-D-glucopyranoside triethylammonium salt.)} is preferred. One particular water-in-oil emulsion is described in WO 99/56776.

[0115] Adjuvants are utilized in an adjuvant amount, which can vary with the adjuvant, host animal and immunogen. Typical amounts can vary from about 1 μg to about 1 mg per immunization. Those skilled in the art know that appropriate concentrations or amounts can be readily determined.

[0116] Vaccine compositions comprising an adjuvant based on oil in water emulsion is also included within the scope of the present invention. The water in oil emulsion may comprise a metabolisable oil and a saponin, such as for example as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,323,182.

[0117] According to several embodiments, the vaccine compositions according to the present invention may contain one or more adjuvants, characterized in that it is present as a solution or emulsion which is substantially free from inorganic salt ions, wherein said solution or emulsion contains one or more water soluble or water-emulsifiable substances which is capable of making the vaccine isotonic or hypotonic. The water soluble or water-emulsifiable substances may be, for example, selected from the group consisting of: maltose; fructose; galactose; saccharose; sugar alcohol; lipid; and combinations thereof.

[0118] The compositions of the present invention comprise according to several specific embodiments a proteosome adjuvant. The proteosome adjuvant comprises a purified preparation of outer membrane proteins of meningococci and similar preparations from other bacteria. These proteins are highly hydrophobic, reflecting their role as transmembrane proteins and porins. Due to their hydrophobic protein-protein interactions, when appropriately isolated, the proteins form multi-molecular structures consisting of about 60-100 nm diameter whole or fragmented membrane vesicles. This liposome-like physical state allows the proteosome adjuvant to act as a protein carrier and also to act as an adjuvant.

[0119] The use of proteosome adjuvant has been described in the prior art and is reviewed by Lowell GH in "New Generation Vaccines", Second Edition, Marcel Dekker Inc, New York, Basel, Hong Kong (1997) pages 193-206. Proteosome adjuvant vesicles are described as comparable in size to certain viruses which are hydrophobic and safe for human use. The review describes formulation of compositions comprising non-covalent complexes between various antigens and proteosome adjuvant vesicles which are formed when solubilizing detergent is selectably removed using exhaustive dialysis technology.

[0120] The present invention also encompasses within its scope the preparation and use of DNA vaccines. Vaccination methods and compositions of this type are well known in the art and are comprehensively described in many different articles, monographs and books (see, for example, chapter 11 of "Molecular Biotechnology: principles and applications of recombinant DNA" eds. B. R. Glick & J. J. Pasternak, ASM Press, Washington, D.C., 2^nd edition, 1998). In principle, DNA vaccination is achieved by cloning the cDNAs for the desired immunogen into a suitable DNA vaccine vector, such as the pVAC vector (Invivogen), using codons optimized for expression in human. In the case of pVAC, the desired immunogenic proteins are targeted and anchored to the cell surface by cloning the gene of interest in frame between the IL2 signal sequence and the C-terminal transmembrane anchoring domain of human placental alkaline phosphatase. The use of other immune enhancers, including adjuvants or cloning in frame other immune enhancing cytokines, together with the DNA vaccines is also within the scope of the present invention. Such DNA vaccine vectors are specifically designed to stimulate humoral immune responses by intramuscular injection. The antigenic peptide produced on the surface of muscle cells is taken up by antigen presenting cells (APCs), processed and presented to the immune system T helper cells through the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules.

[0121] Oral liquid preparations may be in the form of, for example, aqueous or oily suspension, solutions, emulsions, syrups or elixirs, or may be presented dry in tablet form or a product for reconstitution with water or other suitable vehicle before use. Such liquid preparations may contain conventional additives such as suspending agents, emulsifying agents, non-aqueous vehicles (which may include edible oils), or preservative.

[0122] The aforementioned adjuvants are substances that can be used to augment a specific immune response. Normally, the adjuvant and the composition are mixed prior to presentation to the immune system, or presented separately, but into the same site of the subject being vaccinated. Adjuvants that may be usefully employed in the preparation of vaccines include: oil adjuvants (for example, Freund's complete and incomplete adjuvants, that will be used in animal experiments only and is forbidden from use in humans), mineral salts, alum, silica, kaolin, and carbon, polynucleotides and certain natural substances of microbial origin. An additional mode of antigen delivery may include an encapsulation technique, which involves complex coacervation of gelatin and chondroitin sulfate (Azhari R, Leong K W. 1991. Complex coacervation of chondroitin sulfate and gelatin and its use for encapsulation and slow release of a model protein. Proc. Symp. Control. Rel. 18: 617; Brown K E, Leong K, Huang C H, Dalal R, Green G D, Haimes H B, Jimenez P A, Bathon J. 1998. Gelatin/chondroitin 6-sulfate microspheres for delivery of therapeutic proteins to the joint. Arthritis Rheum 41: 2185-2195).

[0123] Further examples of materials and methods useful in the preparation of vaccine compositions are well known to those skilled in the art. In addition, further details may be gleaned from Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mack Publishing Co, Easton, Pa., USA, 20^th edition 2000.

[0124] The S. pneumoniae cell-wall and/or cell-membrane proteins for use in working the present invention may be obtained by directly purifying said proteins from cultures of S. pneumoniae by any of the standard techniques used to prepare and purify cell-surface proteins. Suitable methods are described in many biochemistry text-books, review articles and laboratory guides, including inter alia "Protein Structure: a practical approach" ed. T. E. Creighton, IRL Press, Oxford, UK (1989).

[0125] However, it is to be noted that such an approach suffers many practical limitations that present obstacles for producing commercially-viable quantities of the desired proteins. The S. pneumoniae proteins of the present invention may therefore be more conveniently prepared by means of recombinant biotechnological means, whereby the gene for the S. pneumoniae protein of interest is isolated and inserted into an appropriate expression vector system (such as a plasmid or phage), which is then introduced into a host cell that will permit large-scale production of said protein by means of, for example, overexpression.

[0126] As a first stage, the location of the genes of interest within the S. pneumoniae genome may be determined by reference to a complete-genome database such as the TIGR database that is maintained by the Institute for Genomic Research. The selected sequence may, where appropriate, be isolated directly by the use of appropriate restriction endonucleases, or more effectively by means of PCR amplification. Suitable techniques are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,683,195, 4,683,202, 4,800,159, 4,965,188, as well as in Innis et al. eds., PCR Protocols: A guide to method and applications. Alternatively, the gene may be chemically synthesized with codons optimized to the expression system actually used (i.e. E. coli). For DNA vaccines, codons are optimized for expression in human.

[0127] Following amplification and/or restriction endonuclease digestion, the desired gene or gene fragment is ligated either initially into a cloning vector, or directly into an expression vector that is appropriate for the chosen host cell type. In the case of the S. pneumoniae proteins, Escherichia coli is the most useful expression host. However, many other cell types may be also be usefully employed including other bacteria, yeast cells, insect cells and mammalian cell systems known in the art.

[0128] High-level expression of the desired protein (as intact protein sequence, modified protein sequence, fragment of thereof), within the host cell may be achieved in several different ways (depending on the chosen expression vector) including expression as a fusion protein (e.g. with factor Xa or thrombin), expression as a His-tagged protein, dual vector systems, expression systems leading to incorporation of the recombinant protein inside inclusion bodies etc. The recombinant protein will then need to be isolated and purified from the cell membrane, interior cellular soluble fraction, inclusion body or (in the case of secreted proteins) the culture medium, by one of the many methods known in the art.

[0129] All of the above recombinant DNA and protein purification techniques are well known to all skilled artisans in the field, the details of said techniques being described in many standard works including "Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual" by Sambrook, J., Fritsch, E. F. & Maniatis, T., Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 2^nd ed., 1989, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0130] As disclosed and explained hereinabove, each of the abovementioned embodiments of the invention may be based on the use of one or more intact, full length, cell wall and/or cell membrane proteins or, in the alternative, or in addition thereto, fragments, derivatives and modifications of said full length proteins. Fragments may be obtained by means of recombinant expression of selected regions of the cell wall protein gene(s). Derivatives of the full length proteins or fragments thereof may be obtained by introducing non-native sequences within the DNA sequences encoding said proteins, followed by expression of said derivatized sequences. Derivatives may also be produced by conjugating non-native groups to the amino residue side chains of the cell wall proteins or protein fragments, using standard protein modification techniques. Modified cell wall proteins and protein fragments for use in the present invention may also be obtained by the use of site-directed mutagenesis techniques. Such techniques are well known in the art and are described, for example, in "Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual" by Sambrook, J., Fritsch, E. F. & Maniatis, T., Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 2^nd ed., 1989. Of particular interest is the use of one or more of the preceding techniques to create fragments or derivatives possessing the desired epitopic sites, but lacking other domains which are responsible for adverse effects such as suppression of cellular immune responses. It is to be emphasized that all of the immediately preceding discussion of fragments, derivatives and mutants of the cell wall proteins disclosed herein are to be considered as an integral part of the present invention.

[0131] S. pneumoniae infections are common in children under the five years of age mainly under two years of age. The infants' antibody production is known to be produced at 6 months of age. The present invention is based in part on a study performed with sera obtained longitudinally from children at 18, 30 and 42 months of age, attending day care centers, which are exposed to the bacteria. The children's sera were screened for change, with age, of the presence or amount of antibodies to specific cell wall/membrane proteins. Antibodies to specific proteins which were absent or low in sera of younger children and appear or increase with age identified proteins that now would be considered as candidate for vaccine development for protecting infants against S. pneumoniae. Without wishing to be bound to any theory it is suspected that the immune response of younger children to the proteins in the context of the bacterium is also not efficient. Since the increase in the response to these proteins is in reciprocal correlation with disease it was assumed that immunization with these proteins will elicit a protective immune response. Each of the proteins in the set disclosed for the first time in the present application as being associated with age-dependent immune response to the bacteria may elicit protective immune response against the bacteria at all ages to all subjects, including infants, elderly and immunocompromised subjects.

[0132] PPP enzymatic function occurs in the cytoplasm, however, it was found also to localize to the cell-wall and to the cytoplasmic membrane. FabD, an enzyme that is involved in lipid metabolism, could be found in the cytoplasm only but could not be found in the cell wall, further suggesting that under the experimental conditions used the cell-wall localization of PPP does not result from a non-specific leakage. Moreover, live unencapsulated bacteria could be stained with an anti-PPP monoclonal antibody, further suggesting that PPP is cell-wall localized. Membrane localization of PPP observed in immunoblots may result from its intracellular enzymatic activity in the PTS system, which occurs near to or at the inner leaflet of the cytoplasmic membrane.

[0133] The cell-wall residence, age-dependent immunogenicity, conservation among pneumococcal strains and adhesin activity support the vaccine potential of PPP. Immunization with rPPP reduced nasopharyngeal and lung colonization and reduced mortality upon challenge.

[0134] The observations that PPP resides in the cell-wall, demonstrates age-dependent antigenicity, and inhibits adhesion suggest that it could be a candidate vaccine antigen.

EXAMPLES

[0135] The following examples are provided for illustrative purposes and in order to more particularly explain and describe the present invention. The present invention, however, is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed in the examples.

Example 1

[0136] Prevention of S. pneumoniae Infection in Mice by Inoculation with S. pneumoniae Cell Wall Protein Fractions

Methods:

[0137] Bacterial Cells: The bacterial strain used in this study was an S. pneumoniae serotype 3 strain and R6. The bacteria were plated onto tryptic soy agar supplemented with 5% sheep erythrocytes and incubated for 17-18 hours at 37° C. under anaerobic conditions. The bacterial cells were then transferred to Todd-Hewitt broth supplemented with 0-5% yeast extract and grown to mid-late log phase. Bacteria were harvested and the pellets were stored at -70° C.

[0138] Purification of Cell Wall Proteins: Bacterial pellets were resuspended in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The resulting pellets were then treated with mutanolysin to release cell wall components. Supernatants containing the CW proteins were then harvested. Subsequently, the bacteria were sonicated, centrifuged and the resulting pellet containing the bacteria membranes (m) were lysed with 0.5% TRITON® X-100.

[0139] Fractionation of the Cell Wall Protein Mixture: Cell wall protein-containing supernatants were allowed to adhere to fetuin (a highly glycosylated pan-lectin binding protein) that was covalently bound to a sepharose column. Non-adherent molecules, obtained from the flow-through fraction were predominantly non-lectin molecules, while the column-adherent lectins were eluted with 50 mM ammonium acetate at pH 3.5.

[0140] Experimental: S. pneumoniae cell wall (CW) proteins were separated into lectin (CW-L) and non-lectin (NL) fractions by fetuin affinity chromatography, as described hereinabove. C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice were vaccinated with S. pneumoniae total CW (CW-T), CW-L and CW-NL protein preparations mixed with Freund's adjuvant, by means of the following procedure: each mouse was primed with 25 micrograms of CW-T, CW-NL and CW-L protein preparations intramuscularly, with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) and boosted with incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA), 4 and 7 weeks following priming. Western blots of the abovementioned protein preparations were probed with sera obtained a week after the last immunization. Animals were then challenged intranasally (IN) or intraperitoneally (IP) with 10⁸ cfu of S. pneumoniae serotype 3, that caused 100% mortality in control mice immunized with CFA and boosted with IFA only within 96 hours post-inoculation. Vaccination with CW-L elicited partial protection against S. pneumoniae IN and IP challenge (50% and 45% respectively). Vaccination with CW-T and CW-NL proteins elicited 70% and 65% protection against IP challenge, respectively. Vaccination with CW-T and CW-NL proteins elicited 85% and 50% protection against IN inoculation, respectively.

Example 2

Determination of Age-Related Immunoreactivity to S. pneumoniae Surface Proteins

[0141] The following study was carried out in order to investigate the age-related development of immunoreactivity to S. pneumoniae cell wall and cell membrane proteins.

[0142] Operating as described hereinabove in Example 1, a fraction containing cell wall proteins was obtained from a clinical isolate of S. pneumoniae. In addition, cell membrane proteins were recovered by solubilizing the membrane pellet in 0.5% TRITON® X-100. The cell wall and cell membrane proteins were separated by means of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, wherein the proteins were separated using polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing in one dimension, and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) in the other dimension. The separated proteins were either transferred to a nitrocellulose membrane or directly stained with COOMASSIE BRILLIANT BLUE®.

[0143] Sera were collected longitudinally from healthy children attending day-care centers at 18, 30 and 42 months of age. Starting at 12 months of age, nasopharyngeal swabs were taken from the children on a bimonthly schedule over the 2.5 years of the study. Pneumococcal isolates were characterized by inhibition with optochin and a positive slide agglutination test (Phadebact, Pharmacia Diagnostics). In addition, sera were collected from healthy adults.

[0144] The ability of serum prepared from the above-mentioned blood samples to recognize the separated S. pneumoniae proteins was investigated by Western blot analysis according to the methods described by Rapola S. et al. (J. Infect. Dis., 2000, 182: 1146-52). Putative identification of the separated protein spots obtained following the 2D-electrophoresis was achieved by the use of the Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). The results of the above analysis are summarized in the following table:

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Age-dependent immunoreactivity to S. pneumoniae surface proteins Spot Proteins/ Age (years) no. spot Homology to 1.5 2.5 3.5 adult 1 2 DNA K/phosphoenolpyruvate protein * * * * Phosphoesterase 3 1 Trigger factor * * * * 4 2 60 KDa chaperonin (GroEl protein) Eleongation factor ** * ** *** G/tetracycline resistance protein teto (TET(O)) 7 2 Glutamyl-tRNA amidotransferase subunit * ** * * * A/N utilization sybstance protein protein A 11 2 Oligopeptide-binding protein amiA/aliA/aliB precursor Hypothetical zinc metalloproteinase in SCAA 5' region (ORF 6) 12 1 Pneumolysin (thiol-activated cytolysin * * ** 13 1 L-lactate dehydrogenase * ** * 14 1 Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase * ** *** *** (GAPDH) 15 1 Fructose-bisphosphate aldolase ** *** *** *** 16 1 UDP-glucose 4-epimerase ** * 17 2 Elongation factor G/tetracycline resistance * ** protein teto (TET(O)) 18 1 Pyruvat oxidase *** *** *** *** 22 1 Glutamyl-tRNA synthetase * ** 23 1 NADP-specific glutamate dehydrogenase * * * 24 1 Glyceraldehydes 3-phosphate dehydrogenase * ** *** **** (GAPDH) 25 1 Enolase (2-phosphoglycerate dehydratase) * ** ** ** 27 1 Phosphoglycerate kinase * ** ** ** 29 1 Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase * * ** 30 2 40S ribosomal protein S1/6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase 31 1 Aminopeptidase C 33 Carbamoyl-phosphate synthase * ** *** 57/65 Aspartate carbamoyltransferase * * ** ** 58 30S ribosomal protein S2 ** *

[0145] The data presented in the preceding table indicate that there is an age-dependent development of immunoreactivity to several S. pneumoniae cell wall and cell surface proteins.

[0146] Ling et al. (Clin. Exp. Immunol. 138:290-298, 2004) further describes identification of S. pneumoniae vaccine candidates. As shown in table 2, it was found that the antigenic proteins from the enriched cell wall extract fell into three groups. The first group comprised proteins with low immunogenicity. The second group consists of antigens for which the immunogenicity seemed to increase with age of children attending day-care centers, while the third group of proteins was highly antigenic with all sera tested. The existence of serum antibodies to a certain bacterial protein does not necessarily indicate their capacity to elicit protective immune response against the bacteria. However, the increase in the antibody response to bacterial proteins which coincides with the diminution in morbidity described in children encouraged to test these antigens for their ability to elicit protection against S. pneumoniae. It is concluded that the immunogenic enzymes with an age dependent increase in antigenicity of S. pneumoniae found in enriched cell wall and membrane extract may represent a novel class of vaccine candidates. As shown herein for the first time many of these identified proteins/enzymes elicit protective level immune responses in mice and afford significant protection against respiratory challenge with virulent S. pneumoniae.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Identification of S. pneumoniae surface proteins with age-dependent immunogenicity Immunoreactivity MALDI-TOF analysis Age (months) Spot Homology Acc. number Mascot MW pI 1.5 2.5 3.5 Adult Proteins with low immunogenicity 1 DNA K NP_345035 173 64.8 4.6 * * 23 NADP-specific NP_345769 186 49 5.3 * * * glutamate dehydrogenase Proteins with increased immunogenicity 7 Glutamyl-tRNA NP_344959 83 52 4.9 * ** ** *** Amidotransferase subunit A 13 L-lactate dehydrogenase NP_345686 134 35.9 5.2 * ** * ** 14 Glyceraldehyde 3- NP_346439 350 37.1 5.7 * ** *** *** phosphate dehydrogenase 15 Fructose-bisphosphate NP_345117 106 31.5 5 ** *** *** *** aldolase 16 UDP-glucose 4- NP_346051 116 37.5 4.8 ** * * ** epimerase 22 Glutamyl-tRNA NP_346492 194 56 4.9 * ** ** synthetase 27 Phosphoglycerate kinase NP_345017 109 41.9 4.9 * ** ** ** 29 Glucose-6-phosphate NP_346493 96 51.3 5.2 * * ** isomerase 30 6-phosphogluconate NP_344902 58 53.7 4.9 ** ** dehydrogenase 31 Aminopeptidase C NP_344819 120 33.7 4.8 ** ** x Hypothetical protein NP_358083 15 5.2 * ** 33 Carbamoyl-phosphate NP_345739 230 116.5 4.8 * ** *** synthase 65 Aspartate NP_345741 44 34.7 5.1 * * ** ** carbamoyltransferase Proteins with high immunogenicity 18 Pyruvate oxidase NP_345231 168 65.3 5.1 *** *** *** *** 25 Enolase (2- NP_345598 215 47.1 4.7 ** ** ** ** phosphoglycerate dehydratase)

[0147] The extent of surface protein recognition by the sera was determined by the optical density as measured by the imager used in our study (αInnotech). *Low; **intermediate; ***high

Example 3

Prevention of S. pneumoniae Infection in Mice with Recombinantly-Expressed S. pneumoniae Cell Surface Proteins

[0148] Glycolytic enzymes associated with the cell surface of Streptococcus pneumoniae are antigenic in humans and elicit protective immune responses in the mouse.

[0149] The glycolytic enzymes fructose-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA, NP_--345117, SEQ ID NO: 13), and Glyceraldehide 3 phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH, NP 346439, SEQ ID NO:12), which are associated with the cell surface of S. pneumoniae, were used to immunize mice against S. pneumonia as described in Ling et al., Clin. Exp. Immunol. 138:290-298. 2004. It was shown that both proteins, which are antigenic in humans, elicit cross-strain protective immunity in mice.

[0150] Cloning of Immunogenic S. pneumoniae Surface Proteins: S. pneumoniae fructose-bisphosphate aldolase (hereinafter referred to as "aldolase") and GAPDH proteins were cloned into the pHAT expression vector (BD Biosciences Clontech, Palo Alto, Calif., USA; HAT Vectors encode polyhistidine epitope tag in which the 6 histidine are not consecutive: Lys Asp His Leu Ile His Asn Val His Lys Glu His Ala His Ala His Asn Lys (SEQ ID NO:36)), and expressed in E. coli BL21 cells (Promega Corp., USA) using standard laboratory procedures. Following lysis of the BL21 cells, recombinant proteins were purified by the use of immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) on Ni-NTA columns (Qiagen) and eluted with imidazole. In a separate set of experiments, S. pneumoniae aldolase cDNAs were cloned into the pVAC expression vector (Invivogen), a DNA vaccine vector specifically designed to stimulate a immune response by intramuscular injection. Antigenic proteins are targeted and anchored to the cell surface by cloning the gene of interest in frame between the IL2 signal sequence and the C-terminal transmembrane anchoring domain of human placental alkaline phosphatase. The antigenic peptide produced on the surface of muscle cells is taken up by antigen presenting cells (APCs) and processed to be presented to the T helper cells by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules.

[0151] Immunization: BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice (7 week old females) were intraperitonealy immunized with 25 micrograms of either recombinant aldolase or recombinant GAPDH proteins together with either Freund's complete adjuvant (CFA) or an alum adjuvant. In a separate set of experiments, mice of the aforementioned strains were intramuscularly immunized with 50 micrograms of the pVAC-aldolase or pVAC-GAPDH constructs that were described hereinabove.

[0152] Assessment of Immunogenicity: The immunogenicity of recombinant S. pneumoniae aldolase and GAPDH proteins was assessed by Western blot assay using serum of mice that had been immunized with either total cell wall proteins (CW-T) or with one of the recombinant proteins (as described hereinabove). The results obtained (FIG. 1) indicate that the sera of the immunized animals recognized both recombinant GAPDH and aldolase proteins, and the native GAPDH and aldolase proteins present in the CW-T mixture.

[0153] In a separate set of experiments the serum of mice that had been immunized with DNA vaccines of pVAC-aldolase or pVAC-GAPDH constructs, as described above, was used to detect native aldolase and GAPDH, respectively in Western blots obtained from SDS-PAGE separations of CW-T proteins. The results obtained (FIG. 2) indicate that inoculation with the DNA vaccines containing pVAC-based constructs is capable of eliciting an immune response. Sera of mice vaccinated with the parental pVAC plasmid (i.e. without insert) did not react with the CW-T proteins.

[0154] Protective Vaccination: Following immunization with the recombinant proteins as described hereinabove, the mice were challenged intranasally with a lethal dose of 10⁸ CFU of S. pneumoniae serotype 3. Only 10% of the control animals (immunization with either CFA or alum only) survived the bacterial challenge. However, 40% of the animals immunized with the recombinant aldolase protein in CFA and 43% of the animals immunized with the same protein in alum survived the challenge. In contrast, immunization with the protein DNA K, having low immugenicity (table 2) did not elicit a protective immune response. Following immunization with the pVAC-aldolase construct, 33% of the animals survived. With regard to recombinant GAPDH, 36% of the animals immunized with this recombinant protein survived. Immunization with the pVAC-GAPDH construct, led to a survival rate of 40%, as shown in FIG. 3.

Example 4

S. pneumoniae Immunogenic Proteins

[0155] Operating essentially as in Example 2, the ability of serum prepared from blood samples of children aged 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 years and adults to recognize the separated S. pneumoniae proteins was investigated by Western blot analysis according to the methods described by Rapola S. et al. (J. Infect. Dis., 2000, 182: 1146-52).

[0156] Identification of the separated protein spots obtained following the 2D-electrophoresis was achieved by the use of the Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) technique, and comparison of the partial amino acid sequences obtained thereby with the sequences contained in the TIGR4 and/or R6 databases (maintained by The Institute for Genomic Research).

[0157] The cell surface proteins found to be immunogenic (classified according to their cellular location--cell membrane or cell wall) are summarized in the following table:

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 list of immunogenic proteins Accession SEQ Spot # Protein name No. ID NO 1 phosphoenolpyruvate protein phosphotransferase NP_345645 4 2 phosphoglucomutase/phosphomannomutase family NP_346006 5 protein 3 trigger factor NP_344923 6 4 elongation factor G/tetracycline resistance protein NP_344811 7 (tetO) 6 NADH oxidase NP_345923 8 7 Aspartyl/glutamyl-tRNA amidotransferase subunit C NP_344960 9 8 cell division protein FtsZ NP_346105 10 13 L-lactate dehydrogenase NP_345686 11 14 glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) NP_346439 12 15 fructose-bisphosphate aldolase NP_345117 13 16 UDP-glucose 4-epimerase NP_346261 14 elongation factor Tu family protein NP_358192 15 21 Bifunctional GMP synthase/glutamine amidotransferase NP_345899 16 protein 22 glutamyl-tRNA synthetase NP_346492 17 23 glutamate dehydrogenase NP_345769 18 26 Elongation factor TS NP_346622 19 27 phosphoglycerate kinase (TIGR4) AAK74657 20 30 30S ribosomal protein S1 NP_345350 21 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase NP_357929 22 31 aminopeptidase C NP_344819 23 33 carbamoyl-phosphate synthase (large subunit) NP_345739 24 57 PTS system, mannose-specific IIAB components NP_344822 25 58 30S ribosomal protein S2 NP_346623 26 62 dihydroorotate dehydrogenase 1B NP_358460 27 65 aspartate carbamoyltransferase catalytic subunit NP_345741 28 14 elongation factor Tu NP_345941 29 19 Pneumococcal surface immunogenic protein A (PsipA) NP_344634 30 22 phosphoglycerate kinase (R6) NP_358035 31 40 ABC transporter substrate-binding protein NP_344690 32 10 endopeptidase O NP_346087 33 14 Pneumococcal surface immunogenic protein B (PsipB) NP_358083 34 Pneumococcal surface immunogenic protein C (PsipC) NP_345081 35

Example 5

Preparation of an S. pneumoniae Fructose Bisphosphate Aldolase Fragment

[0158] A peptide referred to as ALDO 1, corresponding to the first 294 nucleotides of the coding sequence of the fructose bisphosphate aldolase gene (SP0605 Streptococcus pneumoniae TIGR4) (SEQ ID NO:1), was amplified from S. pneumoniae strain R6 genomic DNA by means of PCR with the following primers:

TABLE-US-00004 (SEQ ID NO: 2) 3 Forward (5'-GGT ACC ATG GCA ATC GTT TCA GCA-3'), (SEQ ID NO: 3) Reverse (5'-GAG CTC ACC AAC TTC GAT ACA CTC AAG-3').

[0159] The amplified product obtained thereby is shown in FIG. 4.

[0160] The Forward and Reverse primers, constructed according to the TIGR4 sequence contain Kpn1 and SacI recognition sequences, respectively. The primers flank the entire open reading frames.

[0161] The primers were used to amplify the gene from S. pneumoniae serotype 3 strain WU2. The amplified and Kpn1-SacI (Takara Bio Inc, Shiga, Japan) digested DNA-fragments were cloned into the pHAT expression vector (BD Biosciences Clontech, Palo Alto, Calif., USA; as described in Example 3), as illustrated in FIG. 5 and transformed in DH5a UltraMAX ultracompetent E. coli cells.

[0162] Ampicillin-resistant transformants were cultured and plasmid DNA was analyzed by PCR. The pHAT-ALDO 1 vector was purified from DH5α UltraMAX cells using the Qiagen High Speed Plasmid Maxi Kit (Qiagen GMBH, Hilden, Germany) and transformed in E. coli host expression strain BL21(DE3)pLysS. PCR amplification of the ALDO 1 fragment from transformed positive colonies yielded the 297 by fragment indicated in the gel shown in FIG. 6.

Example 6

Cloning, Expressing and Purification of Recombinant Phosphoenolpyruvate Protein Phosphotransferase (PPP) Proteins

[0163] Two genetically unrelated encapsulated S. pneumoniae strains, serotype 2 strain D39 (Avery 1995, Mol Med 1: 344-365) and serotype 3 strain WU2 (Briles 1981, J Exp Med 153: 694-705) were used together with their unencapsulated derivatives, strain R6 (ATCC, Rockville Md.) and strain 3.8DW (Watson at al., 1990, Infect Immun 58: 3135-3138). Pneumococci were grown in THY or on blood agar plates as previously described (Mizrachi Nebenzahl, et al., 2004, FEMS Microbiol Lett 233: 147-152). Two Escherichia coli strains were used, DH5α UltraMAX (DH5α; Invitrogen Corp, Carlsbad, Calif., USA) and BL21(DE3)pLysS (BL21; Promega Corp, Madison, Wis., USA) and were grown in lysogeny broth (LB).

[0164] The nucleotide sequence of the NP_--345645 PPP protein was amplified from pneumococcal serotype 3 strain WU2 genomic DNA according to the published sequence of serotype 4 strain TIGR4 by PCR with the following primers:

[0165] Forward: 5'-GGATCCATGACAGAAATGCTTAAAG-3' (SEQ ID NO:36) and Reverse 5'-GAGCTCTTAATCAAAATTAACGTATTC-3' (SEQ ID NO:37) (supplemented with restriction enzyme sequences of BamHI (Takara Biomedicals, Otsoshiga, Japan) on the 3' end and Sac1 on the 5' end (Takara Biomedicals, Otsoshiga, Japan). The amplified product was cloned into the pHAT expression vector (BD Biosciences Clontech, Palo Alto, Calif., USA), and protein expression and purification were performed as previously described (Mizrachi Nebenzahl, et al., 2007 ibid). Verification of sequence identity was performed by plasmid insert sequencing. The tagged-purified protein was resolved by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Pneumococcal cell-wall proteins were separated by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions and transferred to nitrocellulose membranes (Bio-Rad, Carlsbad, Calif., USA) as previously described (Ausubel F, 1989). Separation showed that the 75 kDa HAT-PPP fusion protein was ˜95% pure. The rPPP. The identity of PPP was further confirmed by immunoblot analysis using either rabbit anti-PPP antiserum or human sera. Immunoblotting with anti-HAT antibodies confirmed the identity of the protein sequence was verified by MALDI-TOF analysis as previously described using a Bruker Reflex-IV mass spectrometer (Bruker-Daltonik, Bremen, Germany) (Portnoi, et al., 2006, Vaccine 24: 1868-1873). MALDI-TOF analysis of this protein band identified rPPP in 99% accordance with the expected PPP protein (PI=4.6, Mascot score=92, Z score=2.43, extent of sequence coverage=39).

Immunization of Rabbits with rPPP

[0166] Three-month-old white albino rabbits (Harlan Laboratories, Israel) were initially immunized intramuscularly (IM) with 200 μg HAT-rPPP emulsified with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) (1:1) in the first immunization or with incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) in booster immunizations. Two weeks after their final immunization rabbits were exsanguinated and sera prepared.

Surface Expression and Conservation of PPP in Different Pneumococcal Strains

[0167] To analyze surface expression and conservation, immunoblot analysis of cell-wall and membrane protein fractions from several pneumococcal strains using anti-rPPP antisera was performed. PPP was found to reside both in the cell-wall and in the membranes of different strains (FIG. 17A). The differences found in the molecular weight of PPP may result from post-translation modifications. In contrast to PPP, no cell-wall residence could be found for the rFabD protein (FIG. 17B).

[0168] Alignment of the protein sequence from the R6 strain with the published pneumococcal strains sequences, performed using both the Mascot software package (Matrix Science Ltd., UK) and Profound program (Rockefeller Univ.), demonstrated homology with >99% identity and 100% positivity with no gaps.

[0169] Flow cytometry analysis performed as previously described (Mizrachi Nebenzahl, et al., 2007 ibid) with the R6 bacteria strain probed with anti-PPP mAbs demonstrated PPP surface expression. Strain R6 bacteria were incubated with anti-rPPP mAb or pre-immune mouse serum, washed, and stained with Alexa Fluor 647-conjugated goat-anti-mouse-IgG (Jackson ImmunoResearch, West Grove, Pa.). Flow cytometry was performed using a FACSCalibur flow cytometer (Becton Dickinson, Mountain View, Calif.), and data were acquired and analyzed using BD CellQuest® 3.3 software.

Age-Dependent Immunogenicity of PPP

[0170] In previous studies, a group of cell-wall proteins demonstrated age-dependent antigenicity in children. To test whether PPP belongs to this group, rPPP was immunoblotted with pediatric sera. Sera were collected longitudinally at 18, 30 and 42 months of age from healthy children attending day-care centers. Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken from the children bimonthly starting at 12 months of age for the entire 3.5-year duration of the study, and episodes of carriage of different serotype strains were documented (Lifshitz, et al., 2002, Clin Exp Immunol 127: 344-353). Increased PPP antigenicity was observed at 24 months relative to 7 and 12 months with variable recognition at 38 months of age (FIG. 18).

Active Immunization with PPP Reduces Nasopharyngeal and Lung Colonization Upon Intranasal Challenge

[0171] Seven-week-old BALB/cOlaHsd (BALB/c) female mice (Harlan Laboratories, Israel) or seven-week-old CBA/CaHN-Btk.sup.xidJ(CBA/Nxid; Jackson Laboratories, Bar Harbor, Me., USA) mice were housed in sterile conditions under 12-h light/dark cycles and fed Purina Chow and tap water ad libitum.

[0172] BALB/c or CBA/Nxid mice were immunized subcutaneously (SC) with 5 or 25 μg rPPP or a 25-μg NL fraction as positive control (Portnoi, et al., 2006 ibid), emulsified with CFA and boosted (days 14 and 28) with IFA. One week after third immunization the mice were anesthetized with Terrel isoflurane (MINRAD, NY, USA) and inoculated intranasally (IN) on day 42 with a sublethal dose (5×10⁷) of S. pneumoniae Serotype 3 strain WU2. Mice were sacrificed by cervical dislocation 3 and 48 h later, and the nasopharynx (NP) and right lobe lung were excised, homogenized and samples were plated onto blood agar plates for bacterial enumeration. After a similar immunization regimen, BALB/c mice were challenged IN with a lethal dose (10⁸ CFU) of strain WU2, and mortality was monitored daily.

[0173] Mice immunized with rPPP demonstrated a significant reduction in colonization at 3 h (FIG. 7A) and 48 h (FIG. 7B) after inoculation with strain WU2 and at 48 h (FIGS. 7C and D) after inoculation with strain D39. Immunization with rPPP reduced mortality in BALB/c following an IN lethal challenge with WU2 strain (p<0.05, FIG. 7E).

Adhesion is Mediated by PPP

[0174] To analyze whether PPP is involved in pneumococcal interaction with the host, the ability of rPPP to inhibit pneumococcal adhesion to cells was tested. A549 cells (type II epithelial lung carcinoma cells; ATCC, Rockville, Md., USA) or Detroit562 cells (pharyngeal carcinoma derived cells; ATCC, Rockville, Md., USA) were cultured on fibronectin-coated 96-well plates (2.5×10⁴ cells/well) in DMEM (without antibiotics). Experiments were conducted in triplicate with rPPP (0-600 nM) as previously described (Blau, et al., 2007, J Infect Dis 195: 1828-1837). Inhibition of adhesion to A549 cells by anti-rPPP antibodies was also performed.

[0175] In a dose-dependent manner, rPPP significantly inhibited the adhesion of strain WU2 and its unencapsulated derivative strain 3.8DW and of D39 and its unencapsulated derivative strain R6. Rabbit anti-rPPP antisera significantly inhibited the adhesion of strains WU2 and 3.8DW. Mouse anti-rPPP antisera significantly inhibited the adhesion of strains D39 and R6 in a dose-dependent manner.

Example 7

Active Immunization with Glutamyl tRNA Synthetase

[0176] Active immunization with Glutamyl tRNA synthetase (GtS, NP_--346492, SEQ ID NO: 17) using alum as adjuvant is described in Mizrachi et al., J Infect Dis. 196,945-53, 2007. The cloning of the gene was by amplification of the gene using primers constructed according to the TIGR4 sequence and the gene was amplified from S. pneumoniae serotype 3 strain WU2. The amplified gene was inserted into the pHAT vector as described in Example 3.

[0177] Thirty-nine percent of rGtS-immunized mice survived a lethal bacterial challenge, whereas no control mice survived. The results suggested that GtS, an age-dependent S. pneumoniae antigen, is capable of inducing a partially protective immune response against S. pneumoniae in mice. Active immunization with rGtS using CFA as adjuvant: BALB/c mice were immunized three times IM with 10 μg of rGtS in CFA/IFA/IFA in 3 weeks intervals. Mice were subsequently challenged with S. pneumoniae serotype 3 strain WU2. Survival was monitored up to 8 days after challenge. As depicted in FIG. 8, sixty percent of immunized mice survived the intranasal lethal challenge as opposed to 20% of adjuvant immunized (control) mice.

Example 8

Active Immunization with NADH Oxidase (NOX)

[0178] The cloning of the gene was by amplification of the gene using primers constructed according to the R6 sequence and the gene was amplified from S. pneumoniae R6. The amplified gene was inserted into the pHAT vector as described in Example 3.

[0179] BALB/c mice were IP immunized with 25 μg of rNOX protein (NP_--345923, SEQ ID NO: 8), 10 μg of a mixture of non-lectin (NL) proteins as a positive control and adjuvant only as a negative control. The immunizations were performed in the presence of CFA in the first immunization and IFA in the following 2 booster immunizations given in two weeks intervals. Mice were subsequently challenged with a lethal dose of S. pneumoniae serotype 3 strain (WU2). Survival was monitored daily for 7 days. While only 50% of control mice survived the bacterial challenge 100% of NL immunized and 92% of rNOX immunized mice survived the challenge as shown in FIG. 9.

Example 9

[0180] Passive immunization with Pneumococcal surface immunogenic protein B (PsipB; NP_--358083, SEQ ID NO:34). The cloning of the gene was by amplification of the gene using primers constructed according to the TIGR4 sequence and the gene was amplified from S. pneumoniae serotype 3 strain WU2. The amplified gene was inserted into the pHAT vector as described in Example 3.

[0181] BALB/c mice were IP passively immunized two times with 100 μl of anti-PsipB antiserum 24 and 3 hours prior to bacterial challenge. Mice were IP challenged with S. pneumoniae strain 3 (WU2). Survival was monitored up to 7 days. Administration of either anti PsipB antiserum or the anti NL antisera protected the mice (80 and 70% respectively, FIG. 10) from a lethal challenge, while the control (preimmune) serum did not protect the mice from such challenge.

Example 10

Active Immunization with Trigger Factor (TF, NP 344923, SEQ ID NO:6)

[0182] The cloning of the gene was by amplification of the gene using primers constructed according to the TIGR4 sequence and the gene was amplified from S. pneumoniae strain R6. The amplified gene was inserted into the pET32a+ vector lacking the thioredoxin sequence. The vector contain a 5.7kDs tag protein which contains 6 consecutive histidines.

[0183] BALB/c mice were IP immunized (three times; CFA/IFA/IFA) with 25 μg of TF. Mice were subsequently challenged IN with S. pneumoniae serotype 3 strain WU2. Survival was monitored for 21 days. 25 μg TF elicited a protective immune response against a lethal challenge (80%) while mice immunized with adjuvant only were not protected (19% and 23 survival, respectively, FIG. 11)

Example 11

FtsZ Cell Division Protein (NP_--346105, SEQ ID NO:10)

[0184] The cloning of the gene was by amplification of the gene using primers constructed according to the TIGR4 sequence and the gene was amplified from S. pneumoniae strain R6. The amplified gene was inserted into the pET32a+ vector lacking the thioredoxin sequence. The vector contain a 5.7kDs tag protein which contains 6 consecutive histidines.

[0185] BALB/c mice were IP challenged with S. pneumoniae serotype 3 strain WU2 after 1 hour neutralization with rabbit anti-FtsZ antiserum, preimmune serum or anti NL serum. Survival was followed up to 7 days. Both the anti FtsZ and the anti NL antisera protected the mice from a lethal challenge (50% and 86%, respectively), while the preimmune serum protected 30% of the challenged mice (FIG. 12).

Example 12

PTS System, Mannose-Specific IIAB Components NP_--344822, SEQ ID NO:25)

[0186] The cloning of the gene was by amplification of the gene using primers constructed according to the TIGR4 sequence and the gene was amplified from S. pneumoniae strain R6. The amplified gene was inserted into the pET32a+ vector lacking the thioredoxin sequence. The vector contain a 5.7kDs tag protein which contains 6 consecutive histidines.

[0187] BALB/c mice were IP challenged with S. pneumoniae strain 3(WU2) after 1 hour neutralization with rabbit anti-PTS antiserum. Survival was followed up to 7 days. Both the anti PTS and the anti NL antisera protected the mice from a lethal challenge (40 and 100%, respectively), while only 10% of mice survived following challenge with bacteria pretreated with preimmune serum (FIG. 13).

Example 13

Vaccination with 6-Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase (6PGD, NP357929, SEQ ID NO:22)

[0188] Use of 6PGD for inducing protective immune response in mice was described in Daniely et al., 144:254-63. 2006. Immunization of mice with r6PGD protected 60% of mice for 5 days and 40% of the mice for 21 days following intranasal lethal challenge, while none of the control mice survived the same challenge after four days.

Example 14

Active Immunization with Elongation Factor G (EFG, NP344811, SEQ ID NO:7)

[0189] The cloning of the gene was by amplification of the gene using primers constructed according to the R6 sequence and the gene was amplified from S. pneumoniae strain S. pneumoniae serotype 3 strain WU2. The amplified gene was inserted into the pHAT vector lacking the thioredoxin sequence. The vector contains a 5.7kDs tag protein which contains 6 consecutive histidines.

[0190] BALB/c mice were immunized IP with 25 μg of EFG in the presence of Alum. Mice were subsequently challenged IN with S. pneumoniae serotype 3 strain WU2. Survival was monitored for 21 days. As shown in FIG. 14, EFG elicited a protective immune response against a lethal challenge in 30% of the mice, while all control mice, immunized with adjuvant only, succumbed 5 days following the bacterial challenge.

Example 15

Clinical Studies

[0191] The first Phase 1 study is performed in 20-25 adults, testing the candidate vaccine for safety and immunogenicity. The second Phase 1 study evaluates 2 or 3 dosage levels of the vaccine in groups of 20-25 infants each for safety and immunogenicity.

[0192] The first Phase 2 study is performed in 100-150 infants at a developed world site using the dosage level chosen in Phase 1, and evaluates safety and immunogenicity as well as obtain more information about a potential surrogate assay. The second Phase 2 study at a developed world site is performed in 300-500 in infants in multiple sites, and evaluates interactions with other concomitant vaccines for extended safety and immunogenicity. The third Phase 2 study is performed in parallel 200 infants at the developing world location at which the Phase 3 efficacy study performed, to confirm immunogenicity and safety before Phase 3.

[0193] The Phase 3 efficacy study would be performed in a developing world site in 50,000 infants as a placebo-controlled double-blind study with a clinical endpoint.

[0194] The Phase 3 immunogenicity study would be performed in parallel in a developed world site using 3 different lots of final manufacturing-scale vaccine in 4 groups of 200 infants each. The Phase 3 safety study would be performed in parallel in 10,000 infants in developed world sites.

Example 16

Verification of Immunogenicity and Age-Dependency of Nox and GtS

[0195] To verify that GtS induces an age-dependent immune response, sera from 3 healthy children attending day care centers (with documented episodes of carriage of different S. pneumoniae serotypes) were obtained longitudinally between 18-42 months of age. A representative series revealing quantitative and qualitative enhancement of antibody responses to rGtS protein over time is shown in FIG. 15. The rGtS protein was undetected by the infants' sera at 18 and slightly detected at 30 months of age. Maximal detection of rGtS with the children's sera was observed at 42 months of age. Sera obtained from a healthy adult detected rGtS to the highest extent.

[0196] Immunoblot analysis of rNOX with sera obtained longitudinally from children attending day-care centers demonstrated age-dependent enhancement in protein recognition in all 3 children (FIG. 16).

[0197] While specific embodiments of the invention have been described for the purpose of illustration, it will be understood that the invention may be carried out in practice by skilled persons with many modifications, variations and adaptations, without departing from its spirit or exceeding the bounds of the present invention.

Sequence CWU 1

1

361294DNAStreptococcus pneumoniae 1atggcaatcg tttcagcaga aaaatttgtc caagcagccc gtgacaacgg ttatgcagtt 60ggtggattta acacaaacaa ccttgagtgg actcaagcta tcttgcgcgc agcagaagct 120aaaaaagctc cagttttgat ccaaacttca atgggtgctg ctaaatacat gggtggttac 180aaagttgctc gcaacttgat cgctaacctt gttgaatcaa tgggtatcac tgtaccagta 240gctatccacc ttgaccacgg tcactacgaa gatgcacttg agtgtatcga agtt 294224DNAArtificial SequencePRIMER 2ggtaccatgg caatcgtttc agca 24327DNAArtificial SequencePRIMER 3gagctcacca acttcgatac actcaag 274577PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 4Met Thr Glu Met Leu Lys Gly Ile Ala Ala Ser Asp Gly Val Ala Val 1 5 10 15 Ala Lys Ala Tyr Leu Leu Val Gln Pro Asp Leu Ser Phe Glu Thr Ile 20 25 30 Thr Val Glu Asp Thr Asn Ala Glu Glu Ala Arg Leu Asp Ala Ala Leu 35 40 45 Gln Ala Ser Gln Asp Glu Leu Ser Val Ile Arg Glu Lys Ala Val Gly 50 55 60 Thr Leu Gly Glu Glu Ala Ala Gln Val Phe Asp Ala His Leu Met Val 65 70 75 80 Leu Ala Asp Pro Glu Met Ile Ser Gln Ile Lys Glu Thr Ile Arg Ala 85 90 95 Lys Lys Val Asn Ala Glu Ala Gly Leu Lys Glu Val Thr Asp Met Phe 100 105 110 Ile Thr Ile Phe Glu Gly Met Glu Asp Asn Pro Tyr Met Gln Glu Arg 115 120 125 Ala Ala Asp Ile Arg Asp Val Thr Lys Arg Val Leu Ala Asn Leu Leu 130 135 140 Gly Lys Lys Leu Pro Asn Pro Ala Ser Ile Asn Glu Glu Val Ile Val 145 150 155 160 Ile Ala His Asp Leu Thr Pro Ser Asp Thr Ala Gln Leu Asp Lys Asn 165 170 175 Phe Val Lys Ala Phe Val Thr Asn Ile Gly Gly Arg Thr Ser His Ser 180 185 190 Ala Ile Met Ala Arg Thr Leu Glu Ile Ala Ala Val Leu Gly Thr Asn 195 200 205 Asn Ile Thr Glu Ile Val Lys Asp Gly Asp Ile Leu Ala Val Asn Gly 210 215 220 Ile Thr Gly Glu Val Ile Ile Asn Pro Thr Asp Glu Gln Ala Ala Glu 225 230 235 240 Phe Lys Ala Ala Gly Glu Ala Tyr Ala Lys Gln Lys Ala Glu Trp Ala 245 250 255 Leu Leu Lys Asp Ala Gln Thr Val Thr Ala Asp Gly Lys His Phe Glu 260 265 270 Leu Ala Ala Asn Ile Gly Thr Pro Lys Asp Val Glu Gly Val Asn Asn 275 280 285 Asn Gly Ala Glu Ala Val Gly Leu Tyr Arg Thr Glu Phe Leu Tyr Met 290 295 300 Asp Ser Gln Asp Phe Pro Thr Glu Asp Glu Gln Tyr Glu Ala Tyr Lys 305 310 315 320 Ala Val Leu Glu Gly Met Asn Gly Lys Pro Val Val Val Arg Thr Met 325 330 335 Asp Ile Gly Gly Asp Lys Glu Leu Pro Tyr Phe Asp Met Pro His Glu 340 345 350 Met Asn Pro Phe Leu Gly Phe Arg Ala Leu Arg Ile Ser Ile Ser Glu 355 360 365 Thr Gly Asp Ala Met Phe Arg Thr Gln Ile Arg Ala Leu Leu Arg Ala 370 375 380 Ser Val His Gly Gln Leu Arg Ile Met Phe Pro Met Val Ala Leu Leu 385 390 395 400 Lys Glu Phe Arg Ala Ala Lys Ala Val Phe Asp Glu Glu Lys Ala Asn 405 410 415 Leu Leu Ala Glu Gly Val Ala Val Ala Asp Asn Ile Gln Val Gly Ile 420 425 430 Met Ile Glu Ile Pro Ala Ala Ala Met Leu Ala Asp Gln Phe Ala Lys 435 440 445 Glu Val Asp Phe Phe Ser Ile Gly Thr Asn Asp Leu Ile Gln Tyr Thr 450 455 460 Met Ala Ala Asp Arg Met Asn Glu Gln Val Ser Tyr Leu Tyr Gln Pro 465 470 475 480 Tyr Asn Pro Ser Ile Leu Arg Leu Ile Asn Asn Val Ile Lys Ala Ala 485 490 495 His Ala Glu Gly Lys Trp Ala Gly Met Cys Gly Glu Met Ala Gly Asp 500 505 510 Gln Gln Ala Val Pro Leu Leu Val Gly Met Gly Leu Asp Glu Phe Ser 515 520 525 Met Ser Ala Thr Ser Val Leu Arg Thr Arg Ser Leu Met Lys Lys Leu 530 535 540 Asp Thr Ala Lys Met Glu Glu Tyr Ala Asn Arg Ala Leu Thr Glu Cys 545 550 555 560 Ser Thr Met Glu Glu Val Leu Glu Leu Gln Lys Glu Tyr Val Asn Phe 565 570 575 Asp 5450PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 5Met Gly Lys Tyr Phe Gly Thr Asp Gly Val Arg Gly Glu Ala Asn Leu 1 5 10 15 Glu Leu Thr Pro Glu Leu Ala Phe Lys Leu Gly Arg Phe Gly Gly Tyr 20 25 30 Val Leu Ser Gln His Glu Thr Glu Ala Pro Lys Val Phe Val Gly Arg 35 40 45 Asp Thr Arg Ile Ser Gly Glu Met Leu Glu Ser Ala Leu Val Ala Gly 50 55 60 Leu Leu Ser Val Gly Ile His Val Tyr Lys Leu Gly Val Leu Ala Thr 65 70 75 80 Pro Ala Val Ala Tyr Leu Val Glu Thr Glu Gly Ala Ser Ala Gly Val 85 90 95 Met Ile Ser Ala Ser His Asn Pro Ala Leu Asp Asn Gly Ile Lys Phe 100 105 110 Phe Gly Gly Asp Gly Phe Lys Leu Asp Asp Glu Lys Glu Ala Glu Ile 115 120 125 Glu Ala Leu Leu Asp Ala Glu Glu Asp Thr Leu Pro Arg Pro Ser Ala 130 135 140 Glu Gly Leu Gly Ile Leu Val Asp Tyr Pro Glu Gly Leu Arg Lys Tyr 145 150 155 160 Glu Gly Tyr Leu Val Ser Thr Gly Thr Pro Leu Asp Gly Met Lys Val 165 170 175 Ala Leu Asp Thr Ala Asn Gly Ala Ala Ser Thr Ser Ala Arg Gln Ile 180 185 190 Phe Ala Asp Leu Gly Ala Gln Leu Thr Val Ile Gly Glu Thr Pro Asp 195 200 205 Gly Leu Asn Ile Asn Leu Asn Val Gly Ser Thr His Pro Glu Ala Leu 210 215 220 Gln Glu Val Val Lys Glu Ser Gly Ser Ala Ile Gly Leu Ala Phe Asp 225 230 235 240 Gly Asp Ser Asp Arg Leu Ile Ala Val Asp Glu Asn Gly Asp Ile Val 245 250 255 Asp Gly Asp Lys Ile Met Tyr Ile Ile Gly Lys Tyr Leu Ser Glu Lys 260 265 270 Gly Gln Leu Ala Gln Asn Thr Ile Val Thr Thr Val Met Ser Asn Leu 275 280 285 Gly Phe His Lys Ala Leu Asn Arg Glu Gly Ile Asn Lys Ala Val Thr 290 295 300 Ala Val Gly Asp Arg Tyr Val Val Glu Glu Met Arg Lys Ser Gly Tyr 305 310 315 320 Asn Leu Gly Gly Glu Gln Ser Gly His Val Ile Leu Met Asp Tyr Asn 325 330 335 Thr Thr Gly Asp Gly Gln Leu Ser Ala Val Gln Leu Thr Lys Ile Met 340 345 350 Lys Glu Thr Gly Lys Ser Leu Ser Glu Leu Ala Ala Glu Val Thr Ile 355 360 365 Tyr Pro Gln Lys Leu Val Asn Ile Arg Val Glu Asn Val Met Lys Glu 370 375 380 Lys Ala Met Glu Val Pro Ala Ile Lys Ala Ile Ile Glu Lys Met Glu 385 390 395 400 Glu Glu Met Ala Gly Asn Gly Arg Ile Leu Val Arg Pro Ser Gly Thr 405 410 415 Glu Pro Leu Leu Arg Val Met Ala Glu Ala Pro Thr Thr Glu Glu Val 420 425 430 Asn Tyr Tyr Val Asp Thr Ile Thr Asp Val Val Arg Ala Glu Ile Gly 435 440 445 Ile Asp 450 6420PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 6Met Ser Val Ser Phe Glu Asn Lys Glu Thr Asn Arg Gly Val Leu Thr 1 5 10 15 Phe Thr Ile Ser Gln Asp Gln Ile Lys Pro Glu Leu Asp Arg Val Phe 20 25 30 Lys Ser Val Lys Lys Ser Leu Asn Val Pro Gly Phe Arg Lys Gly His 35 40 45 Leu Pro Arg Pro Ile Phe Asp Gln Lys Phe Gly Glu Glu Ala Leu Tyr 50 55 60 Gln Asp Ala Met Asn Ala Leu Leu Pro Asn Ala Tyr Glu Ala Ala Val 65 70 75 80 Lys Glu Ala Gly Leu Glu Val Val Ala Gln Pro Lys Ile Asp Val Thr 85 90 95 Ser Met Glu Lys Gly Gln Asp Trp Val Ile Thr Ala Glu Val Val Thr 100 105 110 Lys Pro Glu Val Lys Leu Gly Asp Tyr Lys Asn Leu Glu Val Ser Val 115 120 125 Asp Val Glu Lys Glu Val Thr Asp Ala Asp Val Glu Glu Arg Ile Glu 130 135 140 Arg Glu Arg Asn Asn Leu Ala Glu Leu Val Ile Lys Glu Ala Ala Ala 145 150 155 160 Glu Asn Gly Asp Thr Val Val Ile Asp Phe Val Gly Ser Ile Asp Gly 165 170 175 Val Glu Phe Asp Gly Gly Lys Gly Glu Asn Phe Ser Leu Gly Leu Gly 180 185 190 Ser Gly Gln Phe Ile Pro Gly Phe Glu Asp Gln Leu Val Gly His Ser 195 200 205 Ala Gly Glu Thr Val Asp Val Ile Val Thr Phe Pro Glu Asp Tyr Gln 210 215 220 Ala Glu Asp Leu Ala Gly Lys Glu Ala Lys Phe Val Thr Thr Ile His 225 230 235 240 Glu Val Lys Ala Lys Glu Val Pro Ala Leu Asp Asp Glu Leu Ala Lys 245 250 255 Asp Ile Asp Glu Glu Val Glu Thr Leu Ala Asp Leu Lys Glu Lys Tyr 260 265 270 Ser Lys Glu Leu Ala Ala Ala Lys Glu Glu Ala Tyr Lys Asp Ala Val 275 280 285 Glu Gly Ala Ala Ile Asp Thr Ala Val Glu Asn Ala Glu Ile Val Glu 290 295 300 Leu Pro Glu Glu Met Ile His Glu Glu Val His Arg Ser Val Asn Glu 305 310 315 320 Phe Leu Gly Asn Leu Gln Arg Gln Gly Ile Asn Pro Asp Met Tyr Phe 325 330 335 Gln Ile Thr Gly Thr Thr Gln Glu Asp Leu His Asn Gln Tyr Gln Ala 340 345 350 Glu Ala Glu Ser Arg Thr Lys Thr Asn Leu Val Ile Glu Ala Val Ala 355 360 365 Lys Ala Glu Gly Phe Asp Ala Ser Glu Glu Glu Ile Gln Lys Glu Val 370 375 380 Glu Gln Leu Ala Ala Asp Tyr Asn Met Glu Val Ala Gln Val Gln Asn 385 390 395 400 Leu Leu Ser Ala Asp Met Leu Lys His Asp Ile Thr Ile Lys Lys Ala 405 410 415 Val Glu Leu Ile 420 7693PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 7Met Ala Arg Glu Phe Ser Leu Glu Lys Thr Arg Asn Ile Gly Ile Met 1 5 10 15 Ala His Val Asp Ala Gly Lys Thr Thr Thr Thr Glu Arg Ile Leu Tyr 20 25 30 Tyr Thr Gly Lys Ile His Lys Ile Gly Glu Thr His Glu Gly Ala Ser 35 40 45 Gln Met Asp Trp Met Glu Gln Glu Gln Glu Arg Gly Ile Thr Ile Thr 50 55 60 Ser Ala Ala Thr Thr Ala Gln Trp Asn Asn His Arg Val Asn Ile Ile 65 70 75 80 Asp Thr Pro Gly His Val Asp Phe Thr Ile Glu Val Gln Arg Ser Leu 85 90 95 Arg Val Leu Asp Gly Ala Val Thr Val Leu Asp Ser Gln Ser Gly Val 100 105 110 Glu Pro Gln Thr Glu Thr Val Trp Arg Gln Ala Thr Glu Tyr Gly Val 115 120 125 Pro Arg Ile Val Phe Ala Asn Lys Met Asp Lys Ile Gly Ala Asp Phe 130 135 140 Leu Tyr Ser Val Ser Thr Leu His Asp Arg Leu Gln Ala Asn Ala His 145 150 155 160 Pro Ile Gln Leu Pro Ile Gly Ser Glu Asp Asp Phe Arg Gly Ile Ile 165 170 175 Asp Leu Ile Lys Met Lys Ala Glu Ile Tyr Thr Asn Asp Leu Gly Thr 180 185 190 Asp Ile Leu Glu Glu Asp Ile Pro Ala Glu Tyr Leu Asp Gln Ala Gln 195 200 205 Glu Tyr Arg Glu Lys Leu Ile Glu Ala Val Ala Glu Thr Asp Glu Glu 210 215 220 Leu Met Met Lys Tyr Leu Glu Gly Glu Glu Ile Thr Asn Glu Glu Leu 225 230 235 240 Lys Ala Gly Ile Arg Lys Ala Thr Ile Asn Val Glu Phe Phe Pro Val 245 250 255 Leu Cys Gly Ser Ala Phe Lys Asn Lys Gly Val Gln Leu Met Leu Asp 260 265 270 Ala Val Ile Asp Tyr Leu Pro Ser Pro Leu Asp Ile Pro Ala Ile Lys 275 280 285 Gly Ile Asn Pro Asp Thr Asp Ala Glu Glu Ile Arg Pro Ala Ser Asp 290 295 300 Glu Glu Pro Phe Ala Ala Leu Ala Phe Lys Ile Met Thr Asp Pro Phe 305 310 315 320 Val Gly Arg Leu Thr Phe Phe Arg Val Tyr Ser Gly Val Leu Gln Ser 325 330 335 Gly Ser Tyr Val Leu Asn Thr Ser Lys Gly Lys Arg Glu Arg Ile Gly 340 345 350 Arg Ile Leu Gln Met His Ala Asn Ser Arg Gln Glu Ile Asp Thr Val 355 360 365 Tyr Ser Gly Asp Ile Ala Ala Ala Val Gly Leu Lys Asp Thr Thr Thr 370 375 380 Gly Asp Ser Leu Thr Asp Glu Lys Ala Lys Ile Ile Leu Glu Ser Ile 385 390 395 400 Asn Val Pro Glu Pro Val Ile Gln Leu Met Val Glu Pro Lys Ser Lys 405 410 415 Ala Asp Gln Asp Lys Met Gly Ile Ala Leu Gln Lys Leu Ala Glu Glu 420 425 430 Asp Pro Thr Phe Arg Val Glu Thr Asn Val Glu Thr Gly Glu Thr Val 435 440 445 Ile Ser Gly Met Gly Glu Leu His Leu Asp Val Leu Val Asp Arg Met 450 455 460 Arg Arg Glu Phe Lys Val Glu Ala Asn Val Gly Ala Pro Gln Val Ser 465 470 475 480 Tyr Arg Glu Thr Phe Arg Ala Ser Thr Gln Ala Arg Gly Phe Phe Lys 485 490 495 Arg Gln Ser Gly Gly Lys Gly Gln Phe Gly Asp Val Trp Ile Glu Phe 500 505 510 Thr Pro Asn Glu Glu Gly Lys Gly Phe Glu Phe Glu Asn Ala Ile Val 515 520 525 Gly Gly Val Val Pro Arg Glu Phe Ile Pro Ala Val Glu Lys Gly Leu 530 535 540 Val Glu Ser Met Ala Asn Gly Val Leu Ala Gly Tyr Pro Met Val Asp 545 550 555 560 Val Lys Ala Lys Leu Tyr Asp Gly Ser Tyr His Asp Val Asp Ser Ser 565 570 575 Glu Thr Ala Phe Lys Ile Ala Ala Ser Leu Ser Leu Lys Glu Ala Ala 580 585 590 Lys Ser Ala Gln Pro Ala Ile Leu Glu Pro Met Met Leu Val Thr Ile 595 600 605 Thr Val Pro Glu Glu Asn Leu Gly Asp Val Met Gly His Val Thr Ala 610 615 620 Arg Arg Gly Arg Val Asp Gly Met Glu Ala His Gly Asn Ser Gln Ile 625 630 635 640 Val Arg Ala Tyr Val Pro Leu Ala Glu Met Phe Gly Tyr Ala Thr Val 645 650 655 Leu Arg Ser Ala Ser Gln Gly Arg Gly Thr Phe Met Met Val Phe Asp 660 665 670 His Tyr Glu Asp Val Pro Lys Ser Val Gln Glu Glu Ile Ile Lys Lys 675 680 685 Asn Lys Gly Glu Asp 690 8459PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 8Met Ser Lys Ile Val Val Val Gly Ala Asn His Ala Gly Thr Ala Cys 1 5 10 15 Ile Asn Thr Met Leu Asp Asn Phe Gly Asn Glu Asn Glu Ile Val Val 20 25 30 Phe Asp Gln Asn Ser Asn Ile Ser Phe Leu Gly Cys Gly Met Ala Leu 35 40 45 Trp Ile Gly Glu Gln Ile Asp Gly Ala Glu Gly Leu Phe Tyr Ser Asp 50 55 60 Lys Glu Lys Leu Glu Ala

Lys Gly Ala Lys Val Tyr Met Asn Ser Pro 65 70 75 80 Val Leu Ser Ile Asp Tyr Asp Asn Lys Val Val Thr Ala Glu Val Glu 85 90 95 Gly Lys Glu His Lys Glu Ser Tyr Glu Lys Leu Ile Phe Ala Thr Gly 100 105 110 Ser Thr Pro Ile Leu Pro Pro Ile Glu Gly Val Glu Ile Val Lys Gly 115 120 125 Asn Arg Glu Phe Lys Ala Thr Leu Glu Asn Val Gln Phe Val Lys Leu 130 135 140 Tyr Gln Asn Ala Glu Glu Val Ile Asn Lys Leu Ser Asp Lys Ser Gln 145 150 155 160 His Leu Asp Arg Ile Ala Val Val Gly Gly Gly Tyr Ile Gly Val Glu 165 170 175 Leu Ala Glu Ala Phe Glu Arg Leu Gly Lys Glu Val Val Leu Val Asp 180 185 190 Ile Val Asp Thr Val Leu Asn Gly Tyr Tyr Asp Lys Asp Phe Thr Gln 195 200 205 Met Met Ala Lys Asn Leu Glu Asp His Asn Ile Arg Leu Ala Leu Gly 210 215 220 Gln Thr Val Lys Ala Ile Glu Gly Asp Gly Lys Val Glu Arg Leu Ile 225 230 235 240 Thr Asp Lys Glu Ser Phe Asp Val Asp Met Val Ile Leu Ala Val Gly 245 250 255 Phe Arg Pro Asn Thr Ala Leu Ala Gly Gly Lys Ile Glu Leu Phe Arg 260 265 270 Asn Gly Ala Phe Leu Val Asp Lys Lys Gln Glu Thr Ser Ile Pro Asp 275 280 285 Val Tyr Ala Val Gly Asp Cys Ala Thr Val Tyr Asp Asn Ala Arg Lys 290 295 300 Asp Thr Ser Tyr Ile Ala Leu Ala Ser Asn Ala Val Arg Thr Gly Ile 305 310 315 320 Val Gly Ala Tyr Asn Ala Cys Gly His Glu Leu Glu Gly Ile Gly Val 325 330 335 Gln Gly Ser Asn Gly Ile Ser Ile Tyr Gly Leu His Met Val Ser Thr 340 345 350 Gly Leu Thr Leu Glu Lys Ala Lys Ala Ala Gly Tyr Asn Ala Thr Glu 355 360 365 Thr Gly Phe Asn Asp Leu Gln Lys Pro Glu Phe Met Lys His Asp Asn 370 375 380 His Glu Val Ala Ile Lys Ile Val Phe Asp Lys Asp Ser Arg Glu Ile 385 390 395 400 Leu Gly Ala Gln Met Val Ser His Asp Ile Ala Ile Ser Met Gly Ile 405 410 415 His Met Phe Ser Leu Ala Ile Gln Glu His Val Thr Ile Asp Lys Leu 420 425 430 Ala Leu Thr Asp Leu Phe Phe Leu Pro His Phe Asn Lys Pro Tyr Asn 435 440 445 Tyr Ile Thr Met Ala Ala Leu Thr Ala Glu Lys 450 455 9100PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 9Met Lys Ile Thr Gln Glu Glu Val Thr His Val Ala Asn Leu Ser Lys 1 5 10 15 Leu Arg Phe Ser Glu Glu Glu Thr Ala Ala Phe Ala Thr Thr Leu Ser 20 25 30 Lys Ile Val Asp Met Val Glu Leu Leu Gly Glu Val Asp Thr Thr Gly 35 40 45 Val Ala Pro Thr Thr Thr Met Ala Asp Arg Lys Thr Val Leu Arg Pro 50 55 60 Asp Val Ala Glu Glu Gly Ile Asp Arg Asp Arg Leu Phe Lys Asn Val 65 70 75 80 Pro Glu Lys Asp Asn Tyr Tyr Ile Lys Val Pro Ala Ile Leu Asp Asn 85 90 95 Gly Gly Asp Ala 100 10419PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 10Met Thr Phe Ser Phe Asp Thr Ala Ala Ala Gln Gly Ala Val Ile Lys 1 5 10 15 Val Ile Gly Val Gly Gly Gly Gly Gly Asn Ala Ile Asn Arg Met Val 20 25 30 Asp Glu Gly Val Thr Gly Val Glu Phe Ile Ala Ala Asn Thr Asp Val 35 40 45 Gln Ala Leu Ser Ser Thr Lys Ala Glu Thr Val Ile Gln Leu Gly Pro 50 55 60 Lys Leu Thr Arg Gly Leu Gly Ala Gly Gly Gln Pro Glu Val Gly Arg 65 70 75 80 Lys Ala Ala Glu Glu Ser Glu Glu Thr Leu Thr Glu Ala Ile Ser Gly 85 90 95 Ala Asp Met Val Phe Ile Thr Ala Gly Met Gly Gly Gly Ser Gly Thr 100 105 110 Gly Ala Ala Pro Val Ile Ala Arg Ile Ala Lys Asp Leu Gly Ala Leu 115 120 125 Thr Val Gly Val Val Thr Arg Pro Phe Gly Phe Glu Gly Ser Lys Arg 130 135 140 Gly Gln Phe Ala Val Glu Gly Ile Asn Gln Leu Arg Glu His Val Asp 145 150 155 160 Thr Leu Leu Ile Ile Ser Asn Asn Asn Leu Leu Glu Ile Val Asp Lys 165 170 175 Lys Thr Pro Leu Leu Glu Ala Leu Ser Glu Ala Asp Asn Val Leu Arg 180 185 190 Gln Gly Val Gln Gly Ile Thr Asp Leu Ile Thr Asn Pro Gly Leu Ile 195 200 205 Asn Leu Asp Phe Ala Asp Val Lys Thr Val Met Ala Asn Lys Gly Asn 210 215 220 Ala Leu Met Gly Ile Gly Ile Gly Ser Gly Glu Glu Arg Val Val Glu 225 230 235 240 Ala Ala Arg Lys Ala Ile Tyr Ser Pro Leu Leu Glu Thr Thr Ile Asp 245 250 255 Gly Ala Glu Asp Val Ile Val Asn Val Thr Gly Gly Leu Asp Leu Thr 260 265 270 Leu Ile Glu Ala Glu Glu Ala Ser Gln Ile Val Asn Gln Ala Ala Gly 275 280 285 Gln Gly Val Asn Ile Trp Leu Gly Thr Ser Ile Asp Glu Ser Met Arg 290 295 300 Asp Glu Ile Arg Val Thr Val Val Ala Thr Gly Val Arg Gln Asp Arg 305 310 315 320 Val Glu Lys Val Val Ala Pro Gln Ala Arg Ser Ala Thr Asn Tyr Arg 325 330 335 Glu Thr Val Lys Pro Ala His Ser His Gly Phe Asp Arg His Phe Asp 340 345 350 Met Ala Glu Thr Val Glu Leu Pro Lys Gln Asn Pro Arg Arg Leu Glu 355 360 365 Pro Thr Gln Ala Ser Ala Phe Gly Asp Trp Asp Leu Arg Arg Glu Ser 370 375 380 Ile Val Arg Thr Thr Asp Ser Val Val Ser Pro Val Glu Arg Phe Glu 385 390 395 400 Ala Pro Ile Ser Gln Asp Glu Asp Glu Leu Asp Thr Pro Pro Phe Phe 405 410 415 Lys Asn Arg 11328PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 11Met Thr Ser Thr Lys Gln His Lys Lys Val Ile Leu Val Gly Asp Gly 1 5 10 15 Ala Val Gly Ser Ser Tyr Ala Phe Ala Leu Val Asn Gln Gly Ile Ala 20 25 30 Gln Glu Leu Gly Ile Ile Glu Ile Pro Gln Leu His Glu Lys Ala Val 35 40 45 Gly Asp Ala Leu Asp Leu Ser His Ala Leu Ala Phe Thr Ser Pro Lys 50 55 60 Lys Ile Tyr Ala Ala Gln Tyr Ser Asp Cys Ala Asp Ala Asp Leu Val 65 70 75 80 Val Ile Thr Ala Gly Ala Pro Gln Lys Pro Gly Glu Thr Arg Leu Asp 85 90 95 Leu Val Gly Lys Asn Leu Ala Ile Asn Lys Ser Ile Val Thr Gln Val 100 105 110 Val Glu Ser Gly Phe Lys Gly Ile Phe Leu Val Ala Ala Asn Pro Val 115 120 125 Asp Val Leu Thr Tyr Ser Thr Trp Lys Phe Ser Gly Phe Pro Lys Glu 130 135 140 Arg Val Ile Gly Ser Gly Thr Ser Leu Asp Ser Ala Arg Phe Arg Gln 145 150 155 160 Ala Leu Ala Glu Lys Leu Asp Val Asp Ala Arg Ser Val His Ala Tyr 165 170 175 Ile Met Gly Glu His Gly Asp Ser Glu Phe Ala Val Trp Ser His Ala 180 185 190 Asn Ile Ala Gly Val Asn Leu Glu Glu Phe Leu Lys Asp Thr Gln Asn 195 200 205 Val Gln Glu Ala Glu Leu Ile Glu Leu Phe Glu Gly Val Arg Asp Ala 210 215 220 Ala Tyr Thr Ile Ile Asn Lys Lys Gly Ala Thr Tyr Tyr Gly Ile Ala 225 230 235 240 Val Ala Leu Ala Arg Ile Thr Lys Ala Ile Leu Asp Asp Glu Asn Ala 245 250 255 Val Leu Pro Leu Ser Val Phe Gln Glu Gly Gln Tyr Gly Val Glu Asn 260 265 270 Val Phe Ile Gly Gln Pro Ala Val Val Gly Ala His Gly Ile Val Arg 275 280 285 Pro Val Asn Ile Pro Leu Asn Asp Ala Glu Thr Gln Lys Met Gln Ala 290 295 300 Ser Ala Lys Glu Leu Gln Ala Ile Ile Asp Glu Ala Trp Lys Asn Pro 305 310 315 320 Glu Phe Gln Glu Ala Ser Lys Asn 325 12335PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 12Met Val Val Lys Val Gly Ile Asn Gly Phe Gly Arg Ile Gly Arg Leu 1 5 10 15 Ala Phe Arg Arg Ile Gln Asn Val Glu Gly Val Glu Val Thr Arg Ile 20 25 30 Asn Asp Leu Thr Asp Pro Val Met Leu Ala His Leu Leu Lys Tyr Asp 35 40 45 Thr Thr Gln Gly Arg Phe Asp Gly Thr Val Glu Val Lys Glu Gly Gly 50 55 60 Phe Glu Val Asn Gly Lys Phe Ile Lys Val Ser Ala Glu Arg Asp Pro 65 70 75 80 Glu Gln Ile Asp Trp Ala Thr Asp Gly Val Glu Ile Val Leu Glu Ala 85 90 95 Thr Gly Phe Phe Ala Lys Lys Glu Ala Ala Glu Lys His Leu Lys Gly 100 105 110 Gly Ala Lys Lys Val Val Ile Thr Ala Pro Gly Gly Asn Asp Val Lys 115 120 125 Thr Val Val Phe Asn Thr Asn His Asp Val Leu Asp Gly Thr Glu Thr 130 135 140 Val Ile Ser Gly Ala Ser Cys Thr Thr Asn Cys Leu Ala Pro Met Ala 145 150 155 160 Lys Ala Leu Gln Asp Asn Phe Gly Val Val Glu Gly Leu Met Thr Thr 165 170 175 Ile His Ala Tyr Thr Gly Asp Gln Met Ile Leu Asp Gly Pro His Arg 180 185 190 Gly Gly Asp Leu Arg Arg Ala Arg Ala Gly Ala Ala Asn Ile Val Pro 195 200 205 Asn Ser Thr Gly Ala Ala Lys Ala Ile Gly Leu Val Ile Pro Glu Leu 210 215 220 Asn Gly Lys Leu Asp Gly Ser Ala Gln Arg Val Pro Thr Pro Thr Gly 225 230 235 240 Ser Val Thr Glu Leu Val Ala Val Leu Glu Lys Asn Val Thr Val Asp 245 250 255 Glu Val Asn Ala Ala Met Lys Ala Ala Ser Asn Glu Ser Tyr Gly Tyr 260 265 270 Thr Glu Asp Pro Ile Val Ser Ser Asp Ile Val Gly Met Ser Tyr Gly 275 280 285 Ser Leu Phe Asp Ala Thr Gln Thr Lys Val Leu Asp Val Asp Gly Lys 290 295 300 Gln Leu Val Lys Val Val Ser Trp Tyr Asp Asn Glu Met Ser Tyr Thr 305 310 315 320 Ala Gln Leu Val Arg Thr Leu Glu Tyr Phe Ala Lys Ile Ala Lys 325 330 335 13293PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 13Met Ala Ile Val Ser Ala Glu Lys Phe Val Gln Ala Ala Arg Asp Asn 1 5 10 15 Gly Tyr Ala Val Gly Gly Phe Asn Thr Asn Asn Leu Glu Trp Thr Gln 20 25 30 Ala Ile Leu Arg Ala Ala Glu Ala Lys Lys Ala Pro Val Leu Ile Gln 35 40 45 Thr Ser Met Gly Ala Ala Lys Tyr Met Gly Gly Tyr Lys Val Ala Arg 50 55 60 Asn Leu Ile Ala Asn Leu Val Glu Ser Met Gly Ile Thr Val Pro Val 65 70 75 80 Ala Ile His Leu Asp His Gly His Tyr Glu Asp Ala Leu Glu Cys Ile 85 90 95 Glu Val Gly Tyr Thr Ser Ile Met Phe Asp Gly Ser His Leu Pro Val 100 105 110 Glu Glu Asn Leu Lys Leu Ala Lys Glu Val Val Glu Lys Ala His Ala 115 120 125 Lys Gly Ile Ser Val Glu Ala Glu Val Gly Thr Ile Gly Gly Glu Glu 130 135 140 Asp Gly Ile Ile Gly Lys Gly Glu Leu Ala Pro Ile Glu Asp Ala Lys 145 150 155 160 Ala Met Val Glu Thr Gly Ile Asp Phe Leu Ala Ala Gly Ile Gly Asn 165 170 175 Ile His Gly Pro Tyr Pro Val Asn Trp Glu Gly Leu Asp Leu Asp His 180 185 190 Leu Gln Lys Leu Thr Glu Ala Leu Pro Gly Phe Pro Ile Val Leu His 195 200 205 Gly Gly Ser Gly Ile Pro Asp Glu Gln Ile Gln Ala Ala Ile Lys Leu 210 215 220 Gly Val Ala Lys Val Asn Val Asn Thr Glu Cys Gln Ile Ala Phe Ala 225 230 235 240 Asn Ala Thr Arg Lys Phe Ala Arg Asp Tyr Glu Ala Asn Glu Ala Glu 245 250 255 Tyr Asp Lys Lys Lys Leu Phe Asp Pro Arg Lys Phe Leu Ala Asp Gly 260 265 270 Val Lys Ala Ile Gln Ala Ser Val Glu Glu Arg Ile Asp Val Phe Gly 275 280 285 Ser Glu Gly Lys Ala 290 14336PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 14Met Ala Ile Leu Val Thr Gly Gly Ala Gly Tyr Ile Gly Ser His Thr 1 5 10 15 Val Val Glu Leu Leu Asn Leu Gly Lys Glu Val Ile Ile Val Asp Asn 20 25 30 Leu Ser Asn Ser Ser Ile Leu Val Leu Asp Arg Ile Glu Ala Ile Thr 35 40 45 Gly Ile Arg Pro Val Phe Tyr Glu Leu Asp Val Cys Asp Lys Gln Ala 50 55 60 Leu Arg Lys Val Phe Glu Gln Glu Ser Ile Asp Ala Ala Ile His Phe 65 70 75 80 Ala Gly Tyr Lys Ala Val Gly Glu Ser Val Gln Lys Pro Val Met Tyr 85 90 95 Tyr Lys Asn Asn Ile Met Ser Thr Leu Ala Leu Val Glu Val Met Ser 100 105 110 Glu Phe Asn Val Lys Lys Ile Val Phe Ser Ser Ser Ala Thr Val Tyr 115 120 125 Gly Ile Asn Asn Gln Ser Pro Leu Ile Glu Thr Met Gln Thr Ser Ala 130 135 140 Thr Asn Pro Tyr Gly Tyr Thr Lys Val Met Leu Glu Gln Ile Leu Lys 145 150 155 160 Asp Val His Val Ala Asp Ser Glu Trp Ser Ile Ala Leu Leu Arg Tyr 165 170 175 Phe Asn Pro Ile Gly Ala His Glu Ser Gly Leu Ile Gly Glu Asp Pro 180 185 190 Ser Gly Ile Pro Asn Asn Leu Met Pro Tyr Ile Ala Gln Val Ala Val 195 200 205 Gly Lys Leu Ser Glu Leu Ser Val Phe Gly Asn Asp Tyr Asp Thr Leu 210 215 220 Asp Gly Thr Gly Val Arg Asp Tyr Ile His Val Val Asp Leu Ala Ile 225 230 235 240 Gly His Ile Lys Ala Leu Glu Lys Val Ser Glu Lys Thr Asp Val Tyr 245 250 255 Ile Tyr Asn Leu Gly Ser Gly Glu Gly Thr Ser Val Leu Gln Leu Val 260 265 270 Asn Thr Phe Glu Ser Val Asn Lys Ile Pro Ile Pro Tyr Lys Ile Val 275 280 285 Pro Arg Arg Ser Gly Asp Val Ala Thr Cys Tyr Ala Asn Ala Asp Lys 290 295 300 Ala Tyr Lys Glu Leu Asn Trp Arg Thr Thr Lys Ser Ile Glu Asp Met 305 310 315 320 Cys Arg Asp Thr Trp Asn Trp Gln Ser Lys Asn Pro Asn Gly Tyr Asn 325 330 335 15620PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 15Met Asn Ile Ile Glu Glu Ile Met Thr Lys Leu Arg Glu Asp Ile Arg 1 5 10 15 Asn Ile Ala Ile Ile Ala His Val Asp His Gly Lys Thr Thr Leu Val 20 25 30 Asp Glu Leu Leu Lys Gln Ser Glu Thr Leu Asp Ala Arg Thr Glu Leu 35 40 45 Ala Glu Arg Ala Met Asp Ser Asn Asp Ile Glu Lys Glu Arg Gly Ile 50 55 60 Thr Ile Leu Ala Lys Asn Thr Ala Val Ala Tyr Asn Gly Thr Arg Ile 65

70 75 80 Asn Ile Met Asp Thr Pro Gly His Ala Asp Phe Gly Gly Glu Val Glu 85 90 95 Arg Ile Met Lys Met Val Asp Gly Val Val Leu Val Val Asp Ala Tyr 100 105 110 Glu Gly Thr Met Pro Gln Thr Arg Phe Val Leu Lys Lys Ala Leu Glu 115 120 125 Gln Asp Leu Val Pro Ile Val Val Val Asn Lys Ile Asp Lys Pro Ser 130 135 140 Ala Arg Pro Ala Glu Val Val Asp Glu Val Leu Glu Leu Phe Ile Glu 145 150 155 160 Leu Gly Ala Asp Asp Asp Gln Leu Asp Phe Pro Val Val Tyr Ala Ser 165 170 175 Ala Ile Asn Gly Thr Ser Ser Leu Ser Asp Asp Pro Ala Asp Gln Glu 180 185 190 Ala Thr Met Ala Pro Ile Phe Asp Thr Ile Ile Asp His Ile Pro Ala 195 200 205 Pro Val Asp Asn Ser Asp Glu Pro Leu Gln Phe Gln Val Ser Leu Leu 210 215 220 Asp Tyr Asn Asp Phe Val Gly Arg Ile Gly Ile Gly Arg Val Phe Arg 225 230 235 240 Gly Thr Val Lys Val Gly Asp Gln Val Thr Leu Ser Lys Leu Asp Gly 245 250 255 Thr Thr Lys Asn Phe Arg Val Thr Lys Leu Phe Gly Phe Phe Gly Leu 260 265 270 Glu Arg Arg Glu Ile Gln Glu Ala Lys Ala Gly Asp Leu Ile Ala Val 275 280 285 Ser Gly Met Glu Asp Ile Phe Val Gly Glu Thr Ile Thr Pro Thr Asp 290 295 300 Ala Val Glu Ala Leu Pro Ile Leu His Ile Asp Glu Pro Thr Leu Gln 305 310 315 320 Met Thr Phe Leu Val Asn Asn Ser Pro Phe Ala Gly Lys Glu Gly Lys 325 330 335 Trp Val Thr Ser Arg Lys Val Glu Glu Arg Leu Gln Ala Glu Leu Gln 340 345 350 Thr Asp Val Ser Leu Arg Val Asp Pro Thr Asp Ser Pro Asp Lys Trp 355 360 365 Thr Val Ser Gly Arg Gly Glu Leu His Leu Ser Ile Leu Ile Glu Thr 370 375 380 Met Arg Arg Glu Gly Tyr Glu Leu Gln Val Ser Arg Pro Glu Val Ile 385 390 395 400 Val Lys Glu Ile Asp Gly Val Lys Cys Glu Pro Phe Glu Arg Val Gln 405 410 415 Ile Asp Thr Pro Glu Glu Tyr Gln Gly Ser Val Ile Gln Ser Leu Ser 420 425 430 Glu Arg Lys Gly Glu Met Leu Asp Met Ile Ser Thr Gly Asn Gly Gln 435 440 445 Thr Arg Leu Val Phe Leu Val Pro Ala Arg Gly Leu Ile Gly Tyr Ser 450 455 460 Thr Glu Phe Leu Ser Met Thr Arg Gly Tyr Gly Ile Met Asn His Thr 465 470 475 480 Phe Asp Gln Tyr Leu Pro Leu Ile Pro Gly Glu Ile Gly Gly Arg His 485 490 495 Arg Gly Ala Leu Val Ser Ile Asp Ala Gly Lys Ala Thr Thr Tyr Ser 500 505 510 Ile Met Ser Ile Glu Glu Arg Gly Thr Ile Phe Val Asn Pro Gly Thr 515 520 525 Glu Val Tyr Glu Gly Met Ile Ile Gly Glu Asn Ser Arg Glu Asn Asp 530 535 540 Leu Thr Val Asn Ile Thr Lys Ala Lys Gln Met Thr Asn Val Arg Ser 545 550 555 560 Ala Thr Lys Asp Gln Thr Ala Val Ile Lys Thr Pro Arg Ile Leu Thr 565 570 575 Leu Glu Glu Ser Leu Glu Phe Leu Asn Asp Asp Glu Tyr Met Glu Val 580 585 590 Thr Pro Glu Ser Ile Arg Leu Arg Lys Gln Ile Leu Asn Lys Ala Glu 595 600 605 Arg Glu Lys Ala Asn Lys Lys Lys Lys Ser Ala Glu 610 615 620 16520PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 16Met Ser Asn Ile Ser Thr Asp Leu Gln Asp Val Glu Lys Ile Ile Val 1 5 10 15 Leu Asp Tyr Gly Ser Gln Tyr Asn Gln Leu Ile Ser Arg Arg Ile Arg 20 25 30 Glu Ile Gly Val Phe Ser Glu Leu Lys Ser His Lys Ile Ser Ala Ala 35 40 45 Glu Val Arg Glu Val Asn Pro Val Gly Ile Ile Leu Ser Gly Gly Pro 50 55 60 Asn Ser Val Tyr Glu Asp Gly Ser Phe Asp Ile Asp Pro Glu Ile Phe 65 70 75 80 Glu Leu Gly Ile Pro Ile Leu Gly Ile Cys Tyr Gly Met Gln Leu Leu 85 90 95 Thr His Lys Leu Gly Gly Lys Val Val Pro Ala Gly Asp Ala Gly Asn 100 105 110 Arg Glu Tyr Gly Gln Ser Thr Leu Thr His Thr Pro Ser Ala Leu Phe 115 120 125 Glu Ser Thr Pro Asp Glu Gln Thr Val Leu Met Ser His Gly Asp Ala 130 135 140 Val Thr Glu Ile Pro Ala Asp Phe Val Arg Thr Gly Thr Ser Ala Asp 145 150 155 160 Cys Pro Tyr Ala Ala Ile Glu Asn Pro Asp Lys His Ile Tyr Gly Ile 165 170 175 Gln Phe His Pro Glu Val Arg His Ser Val Tyr Gly Asn Asp Ile Leu 180 185 190 Arg Asn Phe Ala Leu Asn Ile Cys Lys Ala Lys Gly Asp Trp Ser Met 195 200 205 Asp Asn Phe Ile Asp Met Gln Ile Lys Lys Ile Arg Glu Thr Val Gly 210 215 220 Asp Lys Arg Val Leu Leu Gly Leu Ser Gly Gly Val Asp Ser Ser Val 225 230 235 240 Val Gly Val Leu Leu Gln Lys Ala Ile Gly Asp Gln Leu Ile Cys Ile 245 250 255 Phe Val Asp His Gly Leu Leu Arg Lys Gly Glu Ala Asp Gln Val Met 260 265 270 Asp Met Leu Gly Gly Lys Phe Gly Leu Asn Ile Val Lys Ala Asp Ala 275 280 285 Ala Lys Arg Phe Leu Asp Lys Leu Ala Gly Val Ser Asp Pro Glu Gln 290 295 300 Lys Arg Lys Ile Ile Gly Asn Glu Phe Val Tyr Val Phe Asp Asp Glu 305 310 315 320 Ala Ser Lys Leu Lys Asp Val Lys Phe Leu Ala Gln Gly Thr Leu Tyr 325 330 335 Thr Asp Val Ile Glu Ser Gly Thr Asp Thr Ala Gln Thr Ile Lys Ser 340 345 350 His His Asn Val Gly Gly Leu Pro Glu Asp Met Gln Phe Glu Leu Ile 355 360 365 Glu Pro Leu Asn Thr Leu Tyr Lys Asp Glu Val Arg Ala Leu Gly Thr 370 375 380 Glu Leu Gly Met Pro Asp His Ile Val Trp Arg Gln Pro Phe Pro Gly 385 390 395 400 Pro Gly Leu Ala Ile Arg Val Met Gly Glu Ile Thr Glu Glu Lys Leu 405 410 415 Glu Thr Val Arg Glu Ser Asp Ala Ile Leu Arg Glu Glu Ile Ala Lys 420 425 430 Ala Gly Leu Asp Arg Asp Ile Trp Gln Tyr Phe Thr Val Asn Thr Gly 435 440 445 Val Arg Ser Val Gly Val Met Gly Asp Gly Arg Thr Tyr Asp Tyr Thr 450 455 460 Ile Ala Ile Arg Ala Ile Thr Ser Ile Asp Gly Met Thr Ala Asp Phe 465 470 475 480 Ala Lys Ile Pro Trp Glu Val Leu Gln Lys Ile Ser Val Arg Ile Val 485 490 495 Asn Glu Val Asp His Val Asn Arg Ile Val Tyr Asp Ile Thr Ser Lys 500 505 510 Pro Pro Ala Thr Val Glu Trp Glu 515 520 17486PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 17Met Ser Lys Asp Ile Arg Val Arg Tyr Ala Pro Ser Pro Thr Gly Leu 1 5 10 15 Leu His Ile Gly Asn Ala Arg Thr Ala Leu Phe Asn Tyr Leu Tyr Ala 20 25 30 Arg His His Gly Gly Thr Phe Leu Ile Arg Ile Glu Asp Thr Asp Arg 35 40 45 Lys Arg His Val Glu Asp Gly Glu Arg Ser Gln Leu Glu Asn Leu Arg 50 55 60 Trp Leu Gly Met Asp Trp Asp Glu Ser Pro Glu Ser His Glu Asn Tyr 65 70 75 80 Arg Gln Ser Glu Arg Leu Asp Leu Tyr Gln Lys Tyr Ile Asp Gln Leu 85 90 95 Leu Ala Glu Gly Lys Ala Tyr Lys Ser Tyr Val Thr Glu Glu Glu Leu 100 105 110 Ala Ala Glu Arg Glu Arg Gln Glu Val Ala Gly Glu Thr Pro Arg Tyr 115 120 125 Ile Asn Glu Tyr Leu Gly Met Ser Glu Glu Glu Lys Ala Ala Tyr Ile 130 135 140 Ala Glu Arg Glu Ala Ala Gly Ile Ile Pro Thr Val Arg Leu Ala Val 145 150 155 160 Asn Glu Ser Gly Ile Tyr Lys Trp His Asp Met Val Lys Gly Asp Ile 165 170 175 Glu Phe Glu Gly Gly Asn Ile Gly Gly Asp Trp Val Ile Gln Lys Lys 180 185 190 Asp Gly Tyr Pro Thr Tyr Asn Phe Ala Val Val Ile Asp Asp His Asp 195 200 205 Met Gln Ile Ser His Val Ile Arg Gly Asp Asp His Ile Ala Asn Thr 210 215 220 Pro Lys Gln Leu Met Val Tyr Glu Ala Leu Gly Trp Glu Ala Pro Glu 225 230 235 240 Phe Gly His Met Thr Leu Ile Ile Asn Ser Glu Thr Gly Lys Lys Leu 245 250 255 Ser Lys Arg Asp Thr Asn Thr Leu Gln Phe Ile Glu Asp Tyr Arg Lys 260 265 270 Lys Gly Tyr Leu Pro Glu Ala Val Phe Asn Phe Ile Ala Leu Leu Gly 275 280 285 Trp Asn Pro Gly Gly Glu Asp Glu Ile Phe Ser Arg Glu Glu Phe Ile 290 295 300 Lys Leu Phe Asp Glu Asn Arg Leu Ser Lys Ser Pro Ala Ala Phe Asp 305 310 315 320 Gln Lys Lys Leu Asp Trp Met Ser Asn Asp Tyr Ile Lys Asn Ala Asp 325 330 335 Leu Glu Thr Ile Phe Glu Met Ala Lys Pro Phe Leu Glu Glu Ala Gly 340 345 350 Arg Leu Thr Asp Lys Ala Glu Lys Leu Val Glu Leu Tyr Lys Pro Gln 355 360 365 Met Lys Ser Val Asp Glu Ile Ile Pro Leu Thr Asp Leu Phe Phe Ser 370 375 380 Asp Phe Pro Glu Leu Thr Glu Ala Glu Arg Glu Val Met Thr Gly Glu 385 390 395 400 Thr Val Pro Thr Val Leu Glu Ala Phe Lys Ala Lys Leu Glu Ala Met 405 410 415 Thr Asp Asp Glu Phe Val Thr Glu Asn Ile Phe Pro Gln Ile Lys Ala 420 425 430 Val Gln Lys Glu Thr Gly Ile Lys Gly Lys Asn Leu Phe Met Pro Ile 435 440 445 Arg Ile Ala Val Ser Gly Glu Met His Gly Pro Glu Leu Pro Asp Thr 450 455 460 Ile Phe Leu Leu Gly Arg Glu Lys Ser Ile Gln His Ile Glu Asn Met 465 470 475 480 Leu Lys Glu Ile Ser Lys 485 18448PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 18Met Thr Ser Ala Lys Glu Tyr Ile Gln Ser Val Phe Glu Thr Val Lys 1 5 10 15 Ala Arg Asn Gly His Glu Ala Glu Phe Leu Gln Ala Val Glu Glu Phe 20 25 30 Phe Asn Thr Leu Glu Pro Val Phe Glu Lys His Pro Glu Tyr Ile Glu 35 40 45 Glu Asn Ile Leu Ala Arg Ile Thr Glu Pro Glu Arg Val Val Ser Phe 50 55 60 Arg Val Pro Trp Val Asp Arg Asp Gly Lys Ile Gln Val Asn Arg Gly 65 70 75 80 Tyr Arg Val Gln Phe Asn Ser Ala Val Gly Pro Tyr Lys Gly Gly Leu 85 90 95 Arg Phe His Pro Thr Val Asn Gln Gly Ile Leu Lys Phe Leu Gly Phe 100 105 110 Glu Gln Ile Phe Lys Asn Val Leu Thr Gly Leu Pro Ile Gly Gly Gly 115 120 125 Lys Gly Gly Ser Asp Phe Asp Pro Lys Gly Lys Thr Asp Ala Glu Val 130 135 140 Met Arg Phe Cys Gln Ser Phe Met Thr Glu Leu Gln Lys His Ile Gly 145 150 155 160 Pro Ser Leu Asp Val Pro Ala Gly Asp Ile Gly Val Gly Gly Arg Glu 165 170 175 Ile Gly Tyr Leu Tyr Gly Gln Tyr Lys Arg Leu Asn Gln Phe Asp Ala 180 185 190 Gly Val Leu Thr Gly Lys Pro Leu Gly Phe Gly Gly Ser Leu Ile Arg 195 200 205 Pro Glu Ala Thr Gly Tyr Gly Leu Val Tyr Tyr Thr Glu Glu Met Leu 210 215 220 Lys Ala Asn Gly Asn Ser Phe Ala Gly Lys Lys Val Val Ile Ser Gly 225 230 235 240 Ser Gly Asn Val Ala Gln Tyr Ala Leu Gln Lys Ala Thr Glu Leu Gly 245 250 255 Ala Thr Val Ile Ser Val Ser Asp Ser Asn Gly Tyr Val Ile Asp Glu 260 265 270 Asn Gly Ile Asp Phe Asp Leu Leu Val Asp Val Lys Glu Lys Arg Arg 275 280 285 Ala Arg Leu Thr Glu Tyr Ala Ala Glu Lys Ala Thr Ala Thr Tyr His 290 295 300 Glu Gly Thr Val Trp Thr Tyr Ala Gly Asn Tyr Asp Ile Ala Leu Pro 305 310 315 320 Cys Ala Thr Gln Asn Glu Ile Asn Gly Glu Ala Ala Lys Arg Leu Val 325 330 335 Ala Gln Gly Val Ile Cys Val Ser Glu Gly Ala Asn Met Pro Ser Asp 340 345 350 Leu Asp Ala Ile Lys Val Tyr Lys Glu Asn Gly Ile Phe Tyr Gly Pro 355 360 365 Ala Lys Ala Ala Asn Ala Gly Gly Val Ala Val Ser Ala Leu Glu Met 370 375 380 Ser Gln Asn Ser Leu Arg Leu Ser Trp Thr Arg Glu Glu Val Asp Gly 385 390 395 400 Arg Leu Lys Asp Ile Met Thr Asn Ile Phe Asn Thr Ala Lys Thr Thr 405 410 415 Ser Glu Thr Tyr Gly Leu Asp Lys Asp Tyr Leu Ala Gly Ala Asn Ile 420 425 430 Ala Ala Phe Glu Asn Val Ala Asn Ala Met Ile Ala Gln Gly Ile Val 435 440 445 19346PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 19Met Ala Glu Ile Thr Ala Lys Leu Val Lys Glu Leu Arg Glu Lys Ser 1 5 10 15 Gly Ala Gly Val Met Asp Ala Lys Lys Ala Leu Val Glu Thr Asp Gly 20 25 30 Asp Ile Glu Lys Ala Ile Glu Leu Leu Arg Glu Lys Gly Met Ala Lys 35 40 45 Ala Ala Lys Lys Ala Asp Arg Val Ala Ala Glu Gly Leu Thr Gly Val 50 55 60 Tyr Val Asn Gly Asn Val Ala Ala Val Ile Glu Val Asn Ala Glu Thr 65 70 75 80 Asp Phe Val Ala Lys Asn Ala Gln Phe Val Glu Leu Val Asn Thr Thr 85 90 95 Ala Lys Val Ile Ala Glu Gly Lys Pro Ala Asn Asn Glu Glu Ala Leu 100 105 110 Ala Leu Ile Met Pro Ser Gly Glu Thr Leu Glu Ala Ala Tyr Val Ser 115 120 125 Ala Thr Ala Thr Ile Gly Glu Lys Ile Ser Phe Arg Arg Phe Ala Leu 130 135 140 Ile Glu Lys Thr Asp Ala Gln His Phe Gly Ala Tyr Gln His Asn Gly 145 150 155 160 Gly Arg Ile Gly Val Ile Ser Val Val Glu Gly Gly Asp Glu Ala Leu 165 170 175 Ala Lys Gln Leu Ser Met His Ile Ala Ala Met Lys Pro Thr Val Leu 180 185 190 Ser Tyr Lys Glu Leu Asp Glu Gln Phe Val Lys Asp Glu Leu Ala Gln 195 200 205 Leu Asn His Val Ile Asp Gln Asp Asn Glu Ser Arg Ala Met Val Asn 210 215 220 Lys Pro Ala Leu Pro His Leu Lys Tyr Gly Ser Lys Ala Gln Leu Thr 225 230 235 240 Asp Asp Val Ile Ala Gln Ala Glu Ala Asp Ile Lys Ala Glu Leu Ala 245 250 255 Ala Glu Gly Lys Pro Glu Lys Ile Trp Asp Lys Ile Ile Pro Gly Lys 260 265 270 Met Asp Arg Phe Met Leu Asp Asn Thr Lys Val Asp Gln Ala Tyr Thr 275 280 285

Leu Leu Ala Gln Val Tyr Ile Met Asp Asp Ser Lys Thr Val Glu Ala 290 295 300 Tyr Leu Glu Ser Val Asn Ala Ser Val Val Glu Phe Ala Arg Phe Glu 305 310 315 320 Val Gly Glu Gly Ile Glu Lys Ala Ala Asn Asp Phe Glu Ala Glu Val 325 330 335 Ala Ala Thr Met Ala Ala Ala Leu Asn Asn 340 345 20398PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 20Met Ala Lys Leu Thr Val Lys Asp Val Asp Leu Lys Gly Lys Lys Val 1 5 10 15 Leu Val Arg Val Asp Phe Asn Val Pro Leu Lys Asp Gly Val Ile Thr 20 25 30 Asn Asp Asn Arg Ile Thr Ala Ala Leu Pro Thr Ile Lys Tyr Ile Ile 35 40 45 Glu Gln Gly Gly Arg Ala Ile Leu Phe Ser His Leu Gly Arg Val Lys 50 55 60 Glu Glu Ala Asp Lys Ala Gly Lys Ser Leu Ala Pro Val Ala Ala Asp 65 70 75 80 Leu Ala Ala Lys Leu Gly Gln Asp Val Val Phe Pro Gly Val Thr Arg 85 90 95 Gly Ala Glu Leu Glu Ala Ala Ile Asn Ala Leu Glu Asp Gly Gln Val 100 105 110 Leu Leu Val Glu Asn Thr Arg Tyr Glu Asp Val Asp Gly Lys Lys Glu 115 120 125 Ser Lys Asn Asp Pro Glu Leu Gly Lys Tyr Trp Ala Ser Leu Gly Asp 130 135 140 Gly Ile Phe Val Asn Asp Ala Phe Gly Thr Ala His Arg Ala His Ala 145 150 155 160 Ser Asn Val Gly Ile Ser Ala Asn Val Glu Lys Ala Val Ala Gly Phe 165 170 175 Leu Leu Glu Asn Glu Ile Ala Tyr Ile Gln Glu Ala Val Glu Thr Pro 180 185 190 Glu Arg Pro Phe Val Ala Ile Leu Gly Gly Ser Lys Val Ser Asp Lys 195 200 205 Ile Gly Val Ile Glu Asn Leu Leu Glu Lys Ala Asp Asn Val Leu Ile 210 215 220 Gly Gly Gly Met Thr Tyr Thr Phe Tyr Lys Ala Gln Gly Ile Glu Ile 225 230 235 240 Gly Asn Ser Leu Val Glu Glu Asp Lys Leu Asp Val Ala Lys Ala Leu 245 250 255 Leu Glu Lys Ala Asn Gly Lys Leu Ile Leu Pro Val Asp Ser Lys Glu 260 265 270 Ala Asn Ala Phe Ala Gly Tyr Thr Glu Val Arg Asp Thr Glu Gly Glu 275 280 285 Ala Val Ser Glu Gly Phe Leu Gly Leu Asp Ile Gly Pro Lys Ser Ile 290 295 300 Ala Lys Phe Asp Glu Ala Leu Thr Gly Ala Lys Thr Val Val Trp Asn 305 310 315 320 Gly Pro Met Gly Val Phe Glu Asn Pro Asp Phe Gln Ala Gly Thr Ile 325 330 335 Gly Val Met Asp Ala Ile Val Lys Gln Pro Gly Val Lys Ser Ile Ile 340 345 350 Gly Gly Gly Asp Ser Ala Ala Ala Ala Ile Asn Leu Gly Arg Ala Asp 355 360 365 Lys Phe Ser Trp Ile Ser Thr Gly Gly Gly Ala Ser Met Glu Leu Leu 370 375 380 Glu Gly Lys Val Leu Pro Gly Leu Ala Ala Leu Thr Glu Lys 385 390 395 21400PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 21Met Asn Glu Phe Glu Asp Leu Leu Asn Ser Val Ser Gln Val Glu Thr 1 5 10 15 Gly Asp Val Val Ser Ala Glu Val Leu Thr Val Asp Ala Thr Gln Ala 20 25 30 Asn Val Ala Ile Ser Gly Thr Gly Val Glu Gly Val Leu Thr Leu Arg 35 40 45 Glu Leu Thr Asn Asp Arg Asp Ala Asp Ile Asn Asp Phe Val Lys Val 50 55 60 Gly Glu Val Leu Asp Val Leu Val Leu Arg Gln Val Val Gly Lys Asp 65 70 75 80 Thr Asp Thr Val Thr Tyr Leu Val Ser Lys Lys Arg Leu Glu Ala Arg 85 90 95 Lys Ala Trp Asp Lys Leu Val Gly Arg Glu Glu Glu Val Val Thr Val 100 105 110 Lys Gly Thr Arg Ala Val Lys Gly Gly Leu Ser Val Glu Phe Glu Gly 115 120 125 Val Arg Gly Phe Ile Pro Ala Ser Met Leu Asp Thr Arg Phe Val Arg 130 135 140 Asn Ala Glu Arg Phe Val Gly Gln Glu Phe Asp Thr Lys Ile Lys Glu 145 150 155 160 Val Asn Ala Lys Glu Asn Arg Phe Ile Leu Ser Arg Arg Glu Val Val 165 170 175 Glu Ala Ala Thr Ala Ala Ala Arg Ala Glu Val Phe Gly Lys Leu Ala 180 185 190 Val Gly Asp Val Val Thr Gly Lys Val Ala Arg Ile Thr Ser Phe Gly 195 200 205 Ala Phe Val Asp Leu Gly Gly Val Asp Gly Leu Val His Leu Thr Glu 210 215 220 Leu Ser His Glu Arg Asn Val Ser Pro Lys Ser Val Val Thr Val Gly 225 230 235 240 Glu Glu Ile Glu Val Lys Ile Leu Asp Leu Asn Glu Glu Glu Gly Arg 245 250 255 Val Ser Leu Ser Leu Lys Ala Thr Val Pro Gly Pro Trp Asp Gly Val 260 265 270 Glu Gln Lys Leu Ala Lys Gly Asp Val Val Glu Gly Thr Val Lys Arg 275 280 285 Leu Thr Asp Phe Gly Ala Phe Val Glu Val Leu Pro Gly Ile Asp Gly 290 295 300 Leu Val His Val Ser Gln Ile Ser His Lys Arg Ile Glu Asn Pro Lys 305 310 315 320 Glu Ala Leu Lys Val Gly Gln Glu Val Gln Val Lys Val Leu Glu Val 325 330 335 Asn Ala Asp Ala Glu Arg Val Ser Leu Ser Ile Lys Ala Leu Glu Glu 340 345 350 Arg Pro Ala Gln Glu Glu Gly Gln Lys Glu Glu Lys Arg Ala Ala Arg 355 360 365 Pro Arg Arg Pro Arg Arg Gln Glu Lys Arg Asp Phe Glu Leu Pro Glu 370 375 380 Thr Gln Thr Gly Phe Ser Met Ala Asp Leu Phe Gly Asp Ile Glu Leu 385 390 395 400 22474PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 22Met Thr Lys Ala Asn Phe Gly Val Val Gly Met Ala Val Met Gly Arg 1 5 10 15 Asn Leu Ala Leu Asn Ile Glu Ser Arg Gly Tyr Thr Val Ala Ile Tyr 20 25 30 Asn Arg Ser Lys Glu Lys Thr Glu Asp Val Ile Ala Cys His Pro Glu 35 40 45 Lys Asn Phe Val Pro Ser Tyr Asp Val Glu Ser Phe Val Asn Ser Ile 50 55 60 Glu Lys Pro Arg Arg Ile Met Leu Met Val Gln Ala Gly Pro Gly Thr 65 70 75 80 Asp Ala Thr Ile Gln Ala Leu Leu Pro His Leu Asp Lys Gly Asp Ile 85 90 95 Leu Ile Asp Gly Gly Asn Thr Phe Tyr Lys Asp Thr Ile Arg Arg Asn 100 105 110 Glu Glu Leu Ala Asn Ser Gly Ile Asn Phe Ile Gly Thr Gly Val Ser 115 120 125 Gly Gly Glu Lys Gly Ala Leu Glu Gly Pro Ser Ile Met Pro Gly Gly 130 135 140 Gln Lys Glu Ala Tyr Glu Leu Val Ala Asp Val Leu Glu Glu Ile Ser 145 150 155 160 Ala Lys Ala Pro Glu Asp Gly Lys Pro Cys Val Thr Tyr Ile Gly Pro 165 170 175 Asp Gly Ala Gly His Tyr Val Lys Met Val His Asn Gly Ile Glu Tyr 180 185 190 Gly Asp Met Gln Leu Ile Ala Glu Ser Tyr Asp Leu Met Gln His Leu 195 200 205 Leu Gly Leu Ser Ala Glu Asp Met Ala Glu Ile Phe Thr Glu Trp Asn 210 215 220 Lys Gly Glu Leu Asp Ser Tyr Leu Ile Glu Ile Thr Ala Asp Ile Leu 225 230 235 240 Ser Arg Lys Asp Asp Glu Gly Gln Asp Gly Pro Ile Val Asp Tyr Ile 245 250 255 Leu Asp Ala Ala Gly Asn Lys Gly Thr Gly Lys Trp Thr Ser Gln Ser 260 265 270 Ser Leu Asp Leu Gly Val Pro Leu Ser Leu Ile Thr Glu Ser Val Phe 275 280 285 Ala Arg Tyr Ile Ser Thr Tyr Lys Glu Glu Arg Val His Ala Ser Lys 290 295 300 Val Leu Pro Lys Pro Ala Ala Phe Asn Phe Glu Gly Asp Lys Ala Glu 305 310 315 320 Leu Ile Glu Lys Ile Arg Gln Ala Leu Tyr Phe Ser Lys Ile Ile Ser 325 330 335 Tyr Ala Gln Gly Phe Ala Gln Leu Arg Val Ala Ser Lys Glu Asn Asn 340 345 350 Trp Asn Leu Pro Phe Ala Asp Ile Ala Ser Ile Trp Arg Asp Gly Cys 355 360 365 Ile Ile Arg Ser Arg Phe Leu Gln Lys Ile Thr Asp Ala Tyr Asn Arg 370 375 380 Asp Ala Asp Leu Ala Asn Leu Leu Leu Asp Glu Tyr Phe Leu Asp Val 385 390 395 400 Thr Ala Lys Tyr Gln Gln Ala Val Arg Asp Ile Val Ala Leu Ala Val 405 410 415 Gln Ala Gly Val Pro Val Pro Thr Phe Ser Ala Ala Ile Thr Tyr Phe 420 425 430 Asp Ser Tyr Arg Ser Ala Asp Leu Pro Ala Asn Leu Ile Gln Ala Gln 435 440 445 Arg Asp Tyr Phe Gly Ala His Thr Tyr Gln Arg Lys Asp Lys Glu Gly 450 455 460 Thr Phe His Tyr Ser Trp Tyr Asp Glu Lys 465 470 23444PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 23Met Asn Ala Ile Gln Glu Ser Phe Thr Asp Lys Leu Phe Ala Asn Tyr 1 5 10 15 Glu Ala Asn Val Lys Tyr Gln Ala Ile Glu Asn Ala Ala Ser His Asn 20 25 30 Gly Ile Phe Ala Ala Leu Glu Arg Arg Gln Ser His Val Asp Asn Thr 35 40 45 Pro Val Phe Ser Leu Asp Leu Thr Lys Asp Lys Val Thr Asn Gln Lys 50 55 60 Ala Ser Gly Arg Cys Trp Met Phe Ala Ala Leu Asn Thr Phe Arg His 65 70 75 80 Lys Leu Ile Ser Gln Tyr Lys Leu Glu Asn Phe Glu Leu Ser Gln Ala 85 90 95 His Thr Phe Phe Trp Asp Lys Tyr Glu Lys Ser Asn Trp Phe Leu Glu 100 105 110 Gln Val Ile Ala Thr Ser Asp Gln Glu Leu Thr Ser Arg Lys Val Ser 115 120 125 Phe Leu Leu Gln Thr Pro Gln Gln Asp Gly Gly Gln Trp Asp Met Val 130 135 140 Val Ser Leu Phe Glu Lys Tyr Gly Val Val Pro Lys Ser Val Tyr Pro 145 150 155 160 Glu Ser Val Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Arg Glu Leu Asn Ala Ile Leu Asn 165 170 175 Lys Leu Leu Arg Gln Asp Ala Gln Ile Leu Arg Asp Leu Leu Val Ser 180 185 190 Gly Ala Asp Gln Ala Thr Val Gln Ala Lys Lys Glu Asp Leu Leu Gln 195 200 205 Glu Ile Phe Asn Phe Leu Ala Met Ser Leu Gly Leu Pro Pro Arg Lys 210 215 220 Phe Asp Phe Ala Tyr Arg Asp Lys Asp Asn Asn Tyr Lys Ser Glu Lys 225 230 235 240 Gly Ile Thr Pro Gln Glu Phe Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Val Asn Leu Pro Leu 245 250 255 Glu Asp Tyr Val Ser Val Ile Asn Ala Pro Thr Ala Asp Lys Pro Tyr 260 265 270 Gly Lys Ser Tyr Thr Val Glu Met Leu Gly Asn Val Val Gly Ser Arg 275 280 285 Ala Val Arg Tyr Ile Asn Val Pro Met Glu Arg Leu Lys Glu Leu Ala 290 295 300 Ile Ala Gln Met Gln Ala Gly Glu Thr Val Trp Phe Gly Ser Asp Val 305 310 315 320 Gly Gln Leu Ser Asn Arg Lys Ala Gly Ile Leu Ala Thr Asp Val Tyr 325 330 335 Asp Phe Glu Ser Ser Met Asp Ile Lys Leu Thr Gln Asp Lys Ala Gly 340 345 350 Arg Leu Asp Tyr Ser Glu Ser Leu Met Thr His Ala Met Val Leu Thr 355 360 365 Gly Val Asp Leu Asp Glu Asn Gly Lys Ser Thr Lys Trp Lys Val Glu 370 375 380 Asn Ser Trp Gly Asp Lys Val Gly Thr Asp Gly Tyr Phe Val Ala Ser 385 390 395 400 Asp Ala Trp Met Asp Glu Tyr Thr Tyr Gln Ile Val Val Arg Lys Glu 405 410 415 Leu Leu Thr Ala Glu Glu Gln Ala Ala Tyr Gly Ala Glu Pro Ile Val 420 425 430 Leu Ala Pro Trp Asp Pro Met Gly Ala Leu Ala Glu 435 440 241058PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 24Met Pro Lys Arg Thr Asp Ile Gln Lys Ile Met Val Ile Gly Ser Gly 1 5 10 15 Pro Ile Ile Ile Gly Gln Ala Ala Glu Phe Asp Tyr Ala Gly Thr Gln 20 25 30 Ala Cys Leu Ser Leu Lys Glu Glu Gly Tyr Glu Val Val Leu Val Asn 35 40 45 Ser Asn Pro Ala Thr Ile Met Thr Asp Lys Glu Ile Ala Asp Lys Val 50 55 60 Tyr Ile Glu Pro Ile Thr Leu Glu Phe Val Thr Arg Ile Leu Arg Lys 65 70 75 80 Glu Gly Pro Asp Ala Leu Leu Pro Thr Leu Gly Gly Gln Thr Gly Leu 85 90 95 Asn Met Ala Met Glu Leu Ser Lys Asn Gly Ile Leu Asp Glu Leu Gly 100 105 110 Val Glu Leu Leu Gly Thr Lys Leu Ser Ala Ile Asp Gln Ala Glu Asp 115 120 125 Arg Asp Leu Phe Lys Gln Leu Met Glu Glu Leu Glu Gln Pro Ile Pro 130 135 140 Glu Ser Glu Ile Val Asn Thr Val Glu Glu Ala Val Ala Phe Ala Ala 145 150 155 160 Thr Ile Gly Tyr Pro Val Ile Val Arg Pro Ala Phe Thr Leu Gly Gly 165 170 175 Thr Gly Gly Gly Met Cys Ala Asn Glu Lys Glu Leu Arg Glu Ile Thr 180 185 190 Glu Asn Gly Leu Lys Leu Ser Pro Val Thr Gln Cys Leu Ile Glu Arg 195 200 205 Ser Ile Ala Gly Phe Lys Glu Ile Glu Tyr Glu Val Met Arg Asp Ser 210 215 220 Ala Asp Asn Ala Leu Val Val Cys Asn Met Glu Asn Phe Asp Pro Val 225 230 235 240 Gly Ile His Thr Gly Asp Ser Ile Val Phe Ala Pro Ala Gln Thr Met 245 250 255 Ser Asp Tyr Glu Asn Gln Met Leu Arg Asp Ala Ser Leu Ser Ile Ile 260 265 270 Arg Ala Leu Lys Ile Glu Gly Gly Cys Asn Val Gln Leu Ala Leu Asp 275 280 285 Pro Asn Ser Phe Lys Tyr Tyr Val Ile Glu Val Asn Pro Arg Val Ser 290 295 300 Arg Ser Ser Ala Leu Ala Ser Lys Ala Thr Gly Tyr Pro Ile Ala Lys 305 310 315 320 Leu Ala Ala Lys Ile Ala Val Gly Leu Thr Leu Asp Glu Val Ile Asn 325 330 335 Pro Val Thr Gly Ser Thr Tyr Ala Met Phe Glu Pro Ala Leu Asp Tyr 340 345 350 Val Val Ala Lys Ile Pro Arg Phe Pro Phe Asp Lys Phe Glu Lys Gly 355 360 365 Glu Arg Arg Leu Gly Thr Gln Met Lys Ala Thr Gly Glu Val Met Ala 370 375 380 Ile Gly Arg Asn Ile Glu Glu Ser Leu Leu Lys Ala Cys Arg Ser Leu 385 390 395 400 Glu Ile Gly Val His His Asn Glu Ile Pro Glu Leu Ala Ala Val Ser 405 410 415 Asp Asp Ala Leu Ile Glu Lys Val Val Lys Ala Gln Asp Asp Arg Leu 420 425 430 Phe Tyr Val Ser Glu Ala Ile Arg Arg Gly Tyr Thr Pro Glu Glu Ile 435 440 445 Ala Glu Leu Thr Lys Ile Asp Ile Phe Tyr Leu Asp Lys Leu Leu His 450 455 460 Ile Phe Glu Ile Glu Gln Glu Leu Gly Ala His Pro Gln Asp Leu Glu 465 470 475 480 Val Leu Lys Thr Ala Lys Leu Asn Gly Phe Ser Asp Arg Lys Ile Ala 485 490 495 Glu Leu Trp Gly Thr Thr Asp Asp Lys Val Arg Gln Leu Arg Leu Glu 500 505

510 Asn Lys Ile Val Pro Val Tyr Lys Met Val Asp Thr Cys Ala Ala Glu 515 520 525 Phe Asp Ser Glu Thr Pro Tyr Phe Tyr Ser Thr Tyr Gly Trp Glu Asn 530 535 540 Glu Ser Ile Arg Ser Asp Lys Glu Ser Val Leu Val Leu Gly Ser Gly 545 550 555 560 Pro Ile Arg Ile Gly Gln Gly Val Glu Phe Asp Tyr Ala Thr Val His 565 570 575 Ser Val Lys Ala Ile Gln Ala Ala Gly Tyr Glu Ala Ile Ile Met Asn 580 585 590 Ser Asn Pro Glu Thr Val Ser Thr Asp Phe Ser Val Ser Asp Lys Leu 595 600 605 Tyr Phe Glu Pro Leu Thr Phe Glu Asp Val Met Asn Val Ile Asp Leu 610 615 620 Glu Gln Pro Lys Gly Val Ile Val Gln Phe Gly Gly Gln Thr Ala Ile 625 630 635 640 Asn Leu Ala Glu Pro Leu Ala Lys Ala Gly Val Thr Ile Leu Gly Thr 645 650 655 Gln Val Ala Asp Leu Asp Arg Ala Glu Asp Arg Asp Leu Phe Glu Gln 660 665 670 Ala Leu Lys Glu Leu Asp Ile Pro Gln Pro Pro Gly Gln Thr Ala Thr 675 680 685 Asn Glu Glu Glu Ala Ala Leu Ala Ala Arg Lys Ile Gly Phe Pro Val 690 695 700 Leu Val Arg Pro Ser Tyr Val Leu Gly Gly Arg Ala Met Glu Ile Val 705 710 715 720 Glu Asn Glu Glu Asp Leu Arg Ser Tyr Met Arg Thr Ala Val Lys Ala 725 730 735 Ser Pro Asp His Pro Val Leu Val Asp Ser Tyr Ile Val Gly Gln Glu 740 745 750 Cys Glu Val Asp Ala Ile Ser Asp Gly Lys Asn Val Leu Ile Pro Gly 755 760 765 Ile Met Glu His Ile Glu Arg Ala Gly Val His Ser Gly Asp Ser Met 770 775 780 Ala Val Tyr Pro Pro Gln Thr Leu Ser Gln Lys Val Gln Glu Thr Ile 785 790 795 800 Ala Asp Tyr Thr Lys Arg Leu Ala Ile Gly Leu His Cys Leu Gly Met 805 810 815 Met Asn Ile Gln Phe Val Ile Lys Asp Glu Lys Val Tyr Val Ile Glu 820 825 830 Val Asn Pro Arg Ala Ser Arg Thr Val Pro Phe Leu Ser Lys Val Thr 835 840 845 Asn Ile Pro Met Ala Gln Val Ala Thr Lys Leu Ile Leu Gly Gln Ser 850 855 860 Leu Ser Glu Leu Gly Tyr Gln Asn Gly Leu Tyr Pro Glu Ser Thr Arg 865 870 875 880 Val His Ile Lys Ala Pro Val Phe Ser Phe Thr Lys Leu Ala Lys Val 885 890 895 Asp Ser Leu Leu Gly Pro Glu Met Lys Ser Thr Gly Glu Val Met Gly 900 905 910 Ser Asp Ala Thr Leu Glu Lys Ala Leu Tyr Lys Ala Phe Glu Ala Ser 915 920 925 Tyr Leu His Leu Pro Thr Phe Gly Asn Val Val Phe Thr Ile Ala Asp 930 935 940 Asp Ala Lys Glu Glu Ala Leu Asn Leu Ala Arg Arg Phe Gln Asn Ile 945 950 955 960 Gly Tyr Gly Ile Leu Ala Thr Glu Gly Thr Ala Ala Phe Phe Ala Ser 965 970 975 His Gly Leu Gln Ala Gln Pro Val Gly Lys Ile Gly Asp Asp Asp Lys 980 985 990 Asp Ile Pro Ser Phe Val Arg Lys Gly Arg Ile Gln Ala Ile Ile Asn 995 1000 1005 Thr Val Gly Thr Lys Arg Thr Ala Asp Glu Asp Gly Glu Gln Ile 1010 1015 1020 Arg Arg Ser Ala Ile Glu His Gly Val Pro Leu Phe Thr Ala Leu 1025 1030 1035 Asp Thr Ala Asn Ala Met Leu Lys Val Leu Glu Ser Arg Ser Phe 1040 1045 1050 Val Thr Glu Ala Ile 1055 25332PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 25Met Thr Ile Met Ser Ile Gly Ile Ile Ile Ala Ser His Gly Glu Phe 1 5 10 15 Ala Ala Gly Ile His Gln Ser Gly Ser Met Ile Phe Gly Glu Gln Glu 20 25 30 Lys Val Gln Val Val Thr Phe Met Pro Asn Glu Gly Pro Asp Asp Leu 35 40 45 Tyr Ala Lys Phe Asn Asn Ala Val Ala Ala Phe Asp Ala Glu Asp Glu 50 55 60 Val Leu Val Leu Ala Asp Leu Trp Ser Gly Ser Pro Phe Asn Gln Ala 65 70 75 80 Ser Arg Val Met Gly Glu Asn Pro Glu Arg Lys Phe Ala Ile Ile Thr 85 90 95 Gly Leu Asn Leu Pro Met Leu Ile Gln Ala Tyr Thr Glu Arg Leu Met 100 105 110 Asp Ala Ala Ala Gly Val Glu Lys Val Ala Ala Asn Ile Ile Lys Glu 115 120 125 Ala Lys Asp Gly Ile Lys Ala Leu Pro Glu Glu Leu Asn Pro Val Glu 130 135 140 Glu Val Ala Ser Ala Ala Ala Ala Pro Val Ala Gln Thr Ala Ile Pro 145 150 155 160 Glu Gly Thr Val Ile Gly Asp Gly Lys Leu Lys Ile Asn Leu Ala Arg 165 170 175 Leu Asp Thr Arg Leu Leu His Gly Gln Val Ala Thr Ala Trp Thr Pro 180 185 190 Asp Ser Lys Ala Asn Arg Ile Ile Val Ala Ser Asp Asn Val Ala Lys 195 200 205 Asp Asp Leu Arg Lys Glu Leu Ile Lys Gln Ala Ala Pro Gly Asn Val 210 215 220 Lys Ala Asn Val Val Pro Ile Gln Lys Leu Ile Glu Ile Ser Lys Asp 225 230 235 240 Pro Arg Phe Gly Glu Thr His Ala Leu Ile Leu Phe Glu Thr Pro Gln 245 250 255 Asp Ala Leu Arg Ala Ile Glu Gly Gly Val Pro Ile Lys Thr Leu Asn 260 265 270 Val Gly Ser Met Ala His Ser Thr Gly Lys Thr Leu Val Asn Thr Val 275 280 285 Leu Ser Met Asp Lys Glu Asp Val Ala Thr Phe Glu Lys Met Arg Asp 290 295 300 Leu Gly Val Glu Phe Asp Val Arg Lys Val Pro Asn Asp Ser Lys Lys 305 310 315 320 Asp Leu Phe Asp Leu Ile Asn Lys Ala Asn Val Lys 325 330 26259PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 26Met Ala Val Ile Ser Met Lys Gln Leu Leu Glu Ala Gly Val His Phe 1 5 10 15 Gly His Gln Thr Arg Arg Trp Asn Pro Lys Met Ala Lys Tyr Ile Phe 20 25 30 Thr Glu Arg Asn Gly Ile His Val Ile Asp Leu Gln Gln Thr Val Lys 35 40 45 Tyr Ala Asp Gln Ala Tyr Asp Phe Met Arg Asp Ala Ala Ala Asn Asp 50 55 60 Ala Val Val Leu Phe Val Gly Thr Lys Lys Gln Ala Ala Asp Ala Val 65 70 75 80 Ala Glu Glu Ala Val Arg Ser Gly Gln Tyr Phe Ile Asn His Arg Trp 85 90 95 Leu Gly Gly Thr Leu Thr Asn Trp Gly Thr Ile Gln Lys Arg Ile Ala 100 105 110 Arg Leu Lys Glu Ile Lys Arg Met Glu Glu Asp Gly Thr Phe Glu Val 115 120 125 Leu Pro Lys Lys Glu Val Ala Leu Leu Asn Lys Gln Arg Ala Arg Leu 130 135 140 Glu Lys Phe Leu Gly Gly Ile Glu Asp Met Pro Arg Ile Pro Asp Val 145 150 155 160 Met Tyr Val Val Asp Pro His Lys Glu Gln Ile Ala Val Lys Glu Ala 165 170 175 Lys Lys Leu Gly Ile Pro Val Val Ala Met Val Asp Thr Asn Thr Asp 180 185 190 Pro Asp Asp Ile Asp Val Ile Ile Pro Ala Asn Asp Asp Ala Ile Arg 195 200 205 Ala Val Lys Leu Ile Thr Ala Lys Leu Ala Asp Ala Ile Ile Glu Gly 210 215 220 Arg Gln Gly Glu Asp Ala Val Ala Val Glu Ala Glu Phe Ala Ala Leu 225 230 235 240 Glu Thr Gln Ala Asp Ser Ile Glu Glu Ile Val Glu Val Val Glu Gly 245 250 255 Asp Asn Ala 27312PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 27Met Thr Thr Asn Arg Leu Gln Val Ser Leu Pro Gly Leu Asp Leu Lys 1 5 10 15 Asn Pro Ile Ile Pro Ala Ser Gly Cys Phe Gly Phe Gly Gln Glu Tyr 20 25 30 Ala Lys Tyr Tyr Asp Leu Asn Leu Leu Gly Ser Ile Met Ile Lys Ala 35 40 45 Thr Thr Leu Glu Pro Arg Phe Gly Asn Pro Thr Pro Arg Val Ala Glu 50 55 60 Thr Pro Ala Gly Met Leu Asn Ala Ile Gly Leu Gln Asn Pro Gly Leu 65 70 75 80 Glu Val Val Leu Ala Glu Lys Leu Pro Trp Leu Glu Arg Glu Tyr Pro 85 90 95 Asn Leu Pro Ile Ile Ala Asn Val Ala Gly Phe Ser Lys Gln Glu Tyr 100 105 110 Ala Ala Val Ser His Gly Ile Ser Lys Ala Thr Asn Val Lys Ala Ile 115 120 125 Glu Leu Asn Ile Ser Cys Pro Asn Val Asp His Cys Asn His Gly Leu 130 135 140 Leu Ile Gly Gln Asp Pro Asp Leu Ala Tyr Asp Val Val Lys Ala Ala 145 150 155 160 Val Glu Ala Ser Glu Val Pro Val Tyr Val Lys Leu Thr Pro Ser Val 165 170 175 Thr Asp Ile Val Thr Val Ala Lys Ala Ala Glu Asp Ala Gly Ala Ser 180 185 190 Gly Leu Thr Met Ile Asn Thr Leu Val Gly Met Arg Phe Asp Leu Lys 195 200 205 Thr Arg Lys Pro Ile Leu Ala Asn Gly Thr Gly Gly Met Ser Gly Pro 210 215 220 Ala Val Phe Pro Val Ala Leu Lys Leu Ile Arg Gln Val Ala Gln Thr 225 230 235 240 Thr Asp Leu Pro Ile Ile Gly Met Gly Gly Val Asp Ser Thr Glu Ala 245 250 255 Ala Leu Glu Met Tyr Leu Ala Gly Ala Ser Ala Ile Gly Val Gly Thr 260 265 270 Ala Asn Phe Thr Asn Pro Tyr Ala Cys Pro Asp Ile Ile Glu Asn Leu 275 280 285 Pro Lys Val Met Asp Lys Tyr Gly Ile Ser Ser Leu Glu Glu Leu Arg 290 295 300 Gln Glu Val Lys Glu Ser Leu Arg 305 310 28307PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 28Met Ser Glu Asn Gln Gln Ala Leu Asn His Val Val Ser Met Glu Asp 1 5 10 15 Leu Thr Val Asp Gln Val Met Lys Leu Ile Lys Arg Gly Ile Glu Phe 20 25 30 Lys Asn Gly Ala Gln Leu Pro Tyr Glu Asp His Pro Ile Val Ser Asn 35 40 45 Leu Phe Phe Glu Asp Ser Thr Arg Thr His Lys Ser Phe Glu Val Ala 50 55 60 Glu Ile Lys Leu Gly Leu Glu Arg Leu Asp Phe Asp Val Lys Thr Ser 65 70 75 80 Ser Val Asn Lys Gly Glu Thr Leu Tyr Asp Thr Ile Leu Thr Leu Ser 85 90 95 Ala Leu Gly Val Asp Val Cys Val Ile Arg His Pro Glu Val Asp Tyr 100 105 110 Tyr Arg Glu Leu Ile Ala Ser Pro Thr Ile Thr Thr Ser Ile Ile Asn 115 120 125 Gly Gly Asp Gly Ser Gly Gln His Pro Ser Gln Ser Leu Leu Asp Leu 130 135 140 Met Thr Ile Tyr Glu Glu Phe Gly His Phe Glu Gly Leu Lys Val Ala 145 150 155 160 Ile Ala Gly Asp Leu Asp His Ser Arg Val Ala Lys Ser Asn Met Gln 165 170 175 Ile Leu Lys Arg Leu Gly Ala Glu Leu Phe Phe Ala Gly Pro Glu Glu 180 185 190 Trp Arg Ser Gln Glu Phe Ala Asp Tyr Gly Gln Phe Val Thr Ile Asp 195 200 205 Glu Ile Ile Asp Gln Val Asp Val Met Met Phe Leu Arg Val Gln His 210 215 220 Glu Arg His Asp Ser Gly Ala Val Phe Ser Lys Glu Asp Tyr His Ala 225 230 235 240 Gln His Gly Leu Thr Gln Glu Arg Tyr Asp Arg Leu Lys Glu Thr Ala 245 250 255 Ile Leu Met His Pro Ala Pro Ile Asn Arg Asp Val Glu Ile Ala Asp 260 265 270 His Leu Val Glu Ala Pro Lys Ser Arg Ile Val Gln Gln Met Thr Asn 275 280 285 Gly Val Phe Val Arg Met Ala Ile Leu Glu Ser Val Leu Ala Ser Arg 290 295 300 Asn Ala Asn 305 29398PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 29Met Ala Lys Glu Lys Tyr Asp Arg Ser Lys Pro His Val Asn Ile Gly 1 5 10 15 Thr Ile Gly His Val Asp His Gly Lys Thr Thr Leu Thr Ala Ala Ile 20 25 30 Thr Thr Val Leu Ala Arg Arg Leu Pro Ser Ser Val Asn Gln Pro Lys 35 40 45 Asp Tyr Ala Ser Ile Asp Ala Ala Pro Glu Glu Arg Glu Arg Gly Ile 50 55 60 Thr Ile Asn Thr Ala His Val Glu Tyr Glu Thr Glu Lys Arg His Tyr 65 70 75 80 Ala His Ile Asp Ala Pro Gly His Ala Asp Tyr Val Lys Asn Met Ile 85 90 95 Thr Gly Ala Ala Gln Met Asp Gly Ala Ile Leu Val Val Ala Ser Thr 100 105 110 Asp Gly Pro Met Pro Gln Thr Arg Glu His Ile Leu Leu Ser Arg Gln 115 120 125 Val Gly Val Lys His Leu Ile Val Phe Met Asn Lys Val Asp Leu Val 130 135 140 Asp Asp Glu Glu Leu Leu Glu Leu Val Glu Met Glu Ile Arg Asp Leu 145 150 155 160 Leu Ser Glu Tyr Asp Phe Pro Gly Asp Asp Leu Pro Val Ile Gln Gly 165 170 175 Ser Ala Leu Lys Ala Leu Glu Gly Asp Ser Lys Tyr Glu Asp Ile Val 180 185 190 Met Glu Leu Met Asn Thr Val Asp Glu Tyr Ile Pro Glu Pro Glu Arg 195 200 205 Asp Thr Asp Lys Pro Leu Leu Leu Pro Val Glu Asp Val Phe Ser Ile 210 215 220 Thr Gly Arg Gly Thr Val Ala Ser Gly Arg Ile Asp Arg Gly Ile Val 225 230 235 240 Lys Val Asn Asp Glu Ile Glu Ile Val Gly Ile Lys Glu Glu Thr Gln 245 250 255 Lys Ala Val Val Thr Gly Val Glu Met Phe Arg Lys Gln Leu Asp Glu 260 265 270 Gly Leu Ala Gly Asp Asn Val Gly Val Leu Leu Arg Gly Val Gln Arg 275 280 285 Asp Glu Ile Glu Arg Gly Gln Val Ile Ala Lys Pro Gly Ser Ile Asn 290 295 300 Pro His Thr Lys Phe Lys Gly Glu Val Tyr Ile Leu Thr Lys Glu Glu 305 310 315 320 Gly Gly Arg His Thr Pro Phe Phe Asn Asn Tyr Arg Pro Gln Phe Tyr 325 330 335 Phe Arg Thr Thr Asp Val Thr Gly Ser Ile Glu Leu Pro Ala Gly Thr 340 345 350 Glu Met Val Met Pro Gly Asp Asn Val Thr Ile Asp Val Glu Leu Ile 355 360 365 His Pro Ile Ala Val Glu Gln Gly Thr Thr Phe Ser Ile Arg Glu Gly 370 375 380 Gly Arg Thr Val Gly Ser Gly Met Val Thr Glu Ile Glu Ala 385 390 395 3046PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 30Met Lys Ser Thr Lys Glu Glu Ile Gln Thr Ile Lys Thr Leu Leu Lys 1 5 10 15 Asp Ser Arg Thr Ala Lys Tyr His Lys Arg Leu Gln Ile Val Leu Phe 20 25 30 Cys Leu Met Gly Lys Ser Tyr Lys Glu Ile Ile Glu Leu Leu 35 40 45 31398PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 31Met Ala Lys Leu Thr Val Lys Asp Val Asp Leu Lys Gly Lys Lys Val 1 5 10 15 Leu Val Arg Val Asp Phe Asn Val Pro Leu Lys Asp Gly Val Ile Thr 20 25 30 Asn Asp Asn Arg Ile Thr Ala Ala Leu Pro Thr Ile Lys Tyr Ile Ile 35 40 45 Glu Gln Gly Gly Arg Ala Ile Leu Phe Ser His Leu Gly Arg Val Lys 50 55 60 Glu Glu Ser Asp Lys Ala Gly Lys

Ser Leu Ala Pro Val Ala Ala Asp 65 70 75 80 Leu Ala Ala Lys Leu Gly Gln Asp Val Val Phe Pro Gly Val Thr Arg 85 90 95 Gly Ala Glu Leu Glu Ala Ala Ile Asn Ala Leu Glu Asp Gly Gln Val 100 105 110 Leu Leu Val Glu Asn Thr Arg Tyr Glu Asp Val Asp Gly Lys Lys Glu 115 120 125 Ser Lys Asn Asp Pro Glu Leu Gly Lys Tyr Trp Ala Ser Leu Gly Asp 130 135 140 Gly Ile Phe Val Asn Asp Ala Phe Gly Thr Ala His Arg Ala His Ala 145 150 155 160 Ser Asn Val Gly Ile Ser Ala Asn Val Glu Lys Ala Val Ala Gly Phe 165 170 175 Leu Leu Glu Asn Glu Ile Ala Tyr Ile Gln Glu Ala Val Glu Thr Pro 180 185 190 Glu Arg Pro Phe Val Ala Ile Leu Gly Gly Ser Lys Val Ser Asp Lys 195 200 205 Ile Gly Val Ile Glu Asn Leu Leu Glu Lys Ala Asp Lys Val Leu Ile 210 215 220 Gly Gly Gly Met Thr Tyr Thr Phe Tyr Lys Ala Gln Gly Ile Glu Ile 225 230 235 240 Gly Asn Ser Leu Val Glu Glu Asp Lys Leu Asp Val Ala Lys Ala Leu 245 250 255 Leu Glu Lys Ala Asn Gly Lys Leu Ile Leu Pro Val Asp Ser Lys Glu 260 265 270 Ala Asn Ala Phe Ala Gly Tyr Thr Glu Val Arg Asp Thr Glu Gly Glu 275 280 285 Ala Val Ser Glu Gly Phe Leu Gly Leu Asp Ile Gly Pro Lys Ser Ile 290 295 300 Ala Lys Phe Asp Glu Ala Leu Thr Gly Ala Lys Thr Val Val Trp Asn 305 310 315 320 Gly Pro Met Gly Val Phe Glu Asn Pro Asp Phe Gln Ala Gly Thr Ile 325 330 335 Gly Val Met Asp Ala Ile Val Lys Gln Pro Gly Val Lys Ser Ile Ile 340 345 350 Gly Gly Gly Asp Ser Ala Ala Ala Ala Ile Asn Leu Gly Arg Ala Asp 355 360 365 Lys Phe Ser Trp Ile Ser Thr Gly Gly Gly Ala Ser Met Glu Leu Leu 370 375 380 Glu Gly Lys Val Leu Pro Gly Leu Ala Ala Leu Thr Glu Lys 385 390 395 32276PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 32Met Lys Lys Ile Val Lys Tyr Ser Ser Leu Ala Ala Leu Ala Leu Val 1 5 10 15 Ala Ala Gly Val Leu Ala Ala Cys Ser Gly Gly Ala Lys Lys Glu Gly 20 25 30 Glu Ala Ala Ser Lys Lys Glu Ile Ile Val Ala Thr Asn Gly Ser Pro 35 40 45 Lys Pro Phe Ile Tyr Glu Glu Asn Gly Glu Leu Thr Gly Tyr Glu Ile 50 55 60 Glu Val Val Arg Ala Ile Phe Lys Asp Ser Asp Lys Tyr Asp Val Lys 65 70 75 80 Phe Glu Lys Thr Glu Trp Ser Gly Val Phe Ala Gly Leu Asp Ala Asp 85 90 95 Arg Tyr Asn Met Ala Val Asn Asn Leu Ser Tyr Thr Lys Glu Arg Ala 100 105 110 Glu Lys Tyr Leu Tyr Ala Ala Pro Ile Ala Gln Asn Pro Asn Val Leu 115 120 125 Val Val Lys Lys Asp Asp Ser Ser Ile Lys Ser Leu Asp Asp Ile Gly 130 135 140 Gly Lys Ser Thr Glu Val Val Gln Ala Thr Thr Ser Ala Lys Gln Leu 145 150 155 160 Glu Ala Tyr Asn Ala Glu His Thr Asp Asn Pro Thr Ile Leu Asn Tyr 165 170 175 Thr Lys Ala Asp Leu Gln Gln Ile Met Val Arg Leu Ser Asp Gly Gln 180 185 190 Phe Asp Tyr Lys Ile Phe Asp Lys Ile Gly Val Glu Thr Val Ile Lys 195 200 205 Asn Gln Gly Leu Asp Asn Leu Lys Val Ile Glu Leu Pro Ser Asp Gln 210 215 220 Gln Pro Tyr Val Tyr Pro Leu Leu Ala Gln Gly Gln Asp Glu Leu Lys 225 230 235 240 Ser Phe Val Asp Lys Arg Ile Lys Glu Leu Tyr Lys Asp Gly Thr Leu 245 250 255 Glu Lys Leu Ser Lys Gln Phe Phe Gly Asp Thr Tyr Leu Pro Ala Glu 260 265 270 Ala Asp Ile Lys 275 33630PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 33Met Thr Arg Tyr Gln Asp Asp Phe Tyr Asp Ala Ile Asn Gly Glu Trp 1 5 10 15 Gln Gln Thr Ala Glu Ile Pro Ala Asp Lys Ser Gln Thr Gly Gly Phe 20 25 30 Val Asp Leu Asp Gln Glu Ile Glu Asp Leu Met Leu Ala Thr Thr Asp 35 40 45 Lys Trp Leu Ala Gly Glu Glu Val Pro Glu Asp Ala Ile Leu Glu Asn 50 55 60 Phe Val Lys Tyr His Arg Leu Val Arg Asp Phe Asp Lys Arg Glu Ala 65 70 75 80 Asp Gly Ile Thr Pro Val Leu Pro Leu Leu Lys Glu Phe Gln Glu Leu 85 90 95 Glu Thr Phe Ala Asp Phe Thr Ala Lys Leu Ala Glu Phe Glu Leu Ala 100 105 110 Gly Lys Pro Asn Phe Leu Pro Phe Gly Val Ser Pro Asp Phe Met Asp 115 120 125 Ala Arg Ile Asn Val Leu Trp Ala Ser Ala Pro Ser Thr Ile Leu Pro 130 135 140 Asp Thr Thr Tyr Tyr Ala Glu Glu His Pro Gln Arg Glu Glu Leu Leu 145 150 155 160 Thr Leu Trp Lys Glu Ser Ser Ala Asn Leu Leu Lys Ala Tyr Asp Phe 165 170 175 Ser Asp Glu Glu Ile Glu Asp Leu Leu Glu Lys Arg Leu Glu Leu Asp 180 185 190 Arg Arg Val Ala Ala Val Val Leu Ser Asn Glu Glu Ser Ser Glu Tyr 195 200 205 Ala Lys Leu Tyr His Pro Tyr Ser Tyr Glu Asp Phe Lys Lys Phe Ala 210 215 220 Pro Ala Leu Pro Leu Asp Asp Phe Phe Lys Ala Val Ile Gly Gln Leu 225 230 235 240 Pro Asp Lys Val Ile Val Asp Glu Glu Arg Phe Trp Gln Ala Ala Glu 245 250 255 Gln Phe Tyr Ser Glu Glu Ala Trp Ser Leu Leu Lys Ala Thr Leu Ile 260 265 270 Leu Ser Val Val Asn Leu Ser Thr Ser Tyr Leu Thr Glu Asp Ile Arg 275 280 285 Val Leu Ser Gly Ala Tyr Ser Arg Ala Leu Ser Gly Val Pro Glu Ala 290 295 300 Lys Asp Lys Val Lys Ala Ala Tyr His Leu Ala Gln Glu Pro Phe Lys 305 310 315 320 Gln Ala Leu Gly Leu Trp Tyr Ala Arg Glu Lys Phe Ser Pro Glu Ala 325 330 335 Lys Ala Asp Val Glu Lys Lys Val Ala Thr Met Ile Asp Val Tyr Lys 340 345 350 Glu Arg Leu Leu Lys Asn Asp Trp Leu Thr Pro Glu Thr Cys Lys Gln 355 360 365 Ala Ile Val Lys Leu Asn Val Ile Lys Pro Tyr Ile Gly Tyr Pro Glu 370 375 380 Glu Leu Pro Ala Arg Tyr Lys Asp Lys Val Val Asn Glu Thr Ala Ser 385 390 395 400 Leu Phe Glu Asn Ala Leu Ala Phe Ala Arg Val Glu Ile Lys His Ser 405 410 415 Trp Ser Lys Trp Asn Gln Pro Val Asp Tyr Lys Glu Trp Gly Met Pro 420 425 430 Ala His Met Val Asn Ala Tyr Tyr Asn Pro Gln Lys Asn Leu Ile Val 435 440 445 Phe Pro Ala Ala Ile Leu Gln Ala Pro Phe Tyr Asp Leu His Gln Ser 450 455 460 Ser Ser Ala Asn Tyr Gly Gly Ile Gly Ala Val Ile Ala His Glu Ile 465 470 475 480 Ser His Ala Phe Asp Thr Asn Gly Ala Ser Phe Asp Glu Asn Gly Ser 485 490 495 Leu Lys Asp Trp Trp Thr Glu Ser Asp Tyr Ala Ala Phe Lys Glu Lys 500 505 510 Thr Gln Lys Val Ile Asp Gln Phe Asp Gly Gln Asp Ser Tyr Gly Ala 515 520 525 Thr Ile Asn Gly Lys Leu Thr Val Ser Glu Asn Val Ala Asp Leu Gly 530 535 540 Gly Ile Ala Ala Ala Leu Glu Ala Ala Lys Arg Glu Ala Asp Phe Ser 545 550 555 560 Ala Glu Glu Phe Phe Tyr Asn Phe Gly Arg Ile Trp Arg Met Lys Gly 565 570 575 Arg Pro Glu Phe Met Lys Leu Leu Ala Ser Val Asp Val His Ala Pro 580 585 590 Ala Lys Leu Arg Val Asn Val Gln Val Pro Asn Phe Asp Asp Phe Phe 595 600 605 Thr Thr Tyr Asp Val Lys Glu Gly Asp Gly Met Trp Arg Ser Pro Glu 610 615 620 Glu Arg Val Ile Ile Trp 625 630 34149PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 34Met Ile Gly Val Val Ala Arg Glu Asn Ala Ala Glu Gln Ile Lys Gln 1 5 10 15 Tyr Gln Lys Phe Thr Val Asn Ile Ser Asp Glu Thr Ser Met Leu Ala 20 25 30 Met Glu Gln Ala Gly Phe Ile Ser His Gln Glu Lys Leu Glu Arg Leu 35 40 45 Gly Val His Tyr Glu Ile Ser Glu Arg Thr Gln Ile Pro Ile Leu Asp 50 55 60 Ala Cys Pro Leu Val Leu Asp Cys Arg Val Asp Arg Ile Val Glu Glu 65 70 75 80 Asp Gly Ile Cys His Ile Phe Ala Lys Ile Leu Glu Arg Leu Val Ala 85 90 95 Pro Glu Leu Leu Asp Glu Lys Gly His Phe Lys Asn Gln Leu Phe Ala 100 105 110 Pro Thr Tyr Phe Met Gly Asp Gly Tyr Gln Arg Val Tyr Arg Tyr Leu 115 120 125 Asp Lys Arg Val Asp Met Lys Gly Ser Phe Ile Lys Lys Ala Arg Lys 130 135 140 Lys Asp Gly Lys Asn 145 35149PRTStreptococcus pneumoniae 35Met Ile Gly Val Val Ala Arg Glu Asn Ala Ala Glu Gln Ile Lys Gln 1 5 10 15 Tyr Gln Lys Phe Thr Val Asn Ile Ser Asp Glu Thr Ser Met Leu Ala 20 25 30 Met Glu Gln Ala Gly Phe Ile Ser His Gln Glu Lys Leu Glu Arg Leu 35 40 45 Gly Val His Tyr Glu Ile Ser Glu Arg Thr Gln Thr Pro Ile Leu Asp 50 55 60 Ala Cys Pro Leu Val Leu Asp Cys Arg Val Asp Arg Ile Val Glu Glu 65 70 75 80 Asp Gly Ile Cys His Ile Phe Ala Lys Ile Leu Glu Arg Leu Val Ala 85 90 95 Pro Glu Leu Leu Asp Glu Lys Gly His Phe Lys Asn Gln Leu Phe Ala 100 105 110 Pro Thr Tyr Phe Met Gly Asp Gly Tyr Gln Arg Val Tyr Arg Tyr Leu 115 120 125 Asp Lys Arg Val Asp Met Lys Gly Ser Phe Ile Lys Lys Ala Arg Lys 130 135 140 Lys Asp Gly Lys Asn 145 3618PRTArticifical SequencePolyhistine epitope tag 36Lys Asp His Leu Ile His Asn Val His Lys Glu His Ala His Ala His 1 5 10 15 Asn Lys

Claims

1. A vaccine composition comprising as the active ingredient a purified preparation of the cell wall protein ABC transporter substrate-binding protein having the Accession No. NP_--344690 and the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, optionally together with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvants.

2. The vaccine composition according to claim formulated for administration to an infant under four years of age.

3. The vaccine composition according to claim 1, formulated for administration to an infant under two years of age.

4. The vaccine composition according to claim 1, formulated for administration to an elderly subject.

5. A vaccine composition comprising at least one polynucleotide sequence encoding a protein according to claim 1, optionally together with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvants.

6. The vaccine composition of claim 5 further comprising at least one polynucleotide sequence encoding an adjuvant peptide or protein.

7. A method of inducing a protective immune response in a mammalian subject against Streptococcus pneumoniae comprising administering to said subject an amount of a vaccine composition according to claim 1, wherein the amount is effective to induce said protective immune response in said subject against Streptococcus pneumoniae.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the subject is an infant under four years of age.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the subject is an infant under two years of age.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the subject is an elderly subject.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the subject is an immunocompromised subject.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein composition includes one or more pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvants.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the subject is protected against S. pneumonia infection by administration of the vaccine composition prior to occurrence of said infection.

14. The vaccine composition according to claim 1, wherein the subject is an immunocompromised subject.

15. A vaccine composition consisting essentially of, as the active ingredient, a purified preparation of the cell wall protein ABC transporter substrate-binding protein having the Accession No. NP_--344690 and the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 32, optionally together with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvants.

16. The vaccine composition according to claim 14, wherein the one or more pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvants are present and the composition is formulated for administration to an infant under four years of age.

17. The vaccine composition according to claim 14, wherein the one or more pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvants are present and the composition is formulated for administration to an infant under two years of age.

18. The vaccine composition according to claim 14, wherein the one or more pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvants are present and the composition is formulated for administration to an elderly subject.

19. The vaccine composition according to claim 14, wherein the one or more pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvants are present and the composition is formulated for administration to an immunocompromised subject.