Isocitrate lyase encoding plasmids in BCG cause increased survival in ApoB100-only LDLR-/- mice.

We studied the role of isocitrate lyase in the interaction between Mycobacterium bovis BCG and mice. ApoB100-only LDLR-/- (B6;129S-ApoBtm2SgyLdlrtm1Her/J) mice were inoculated with M. bovis BCG harbouring plasmids carrying the gene for isocitrate lyase.

ABC transporter ATPase of Chlamydophila pneumoniae as a potential vaccine candidate.

Better vaccines and new therapeutic drugs could be a successful breakthrough against intracellular bacteria. M. tuberculosis ABC transporter ATPase (Rv0986) plays a role in mycobacterial virulence by inhibiting phagosome-lysosome fusion.

Recombinant Mycobacterium smegmatis vaccine candidates.

Mycobacterium smegmatis is a species of rapidly growing saprophytes with a number of properties that make it an effective vaccine vector. Recombinant M. smegmatis expressing protective antigens of different pathogens and molecules modulating the immune responses offers some potential for reduction of the burden of tuberculosis, HIV and hepatitis B infections.

Immunization with a combination of ApoB and HSP60 epitopes significantly reduces early atherosclerotic lesion in Apobtm2SgyLdlrtm1Her/J mice.

Objective: HSP60 is emerging as an immunodominant target of autoantibodies in atherosclerosis and recent studies have revealed oxLDL as a key antigen in the development of atherosclerosis. In this study, we assay whether immunizing Apobtm2SgyLdlrtm1Her/J mice with a combination of ApoB and human HSP60 peptides has an additive effect on atheroprotection compared to ApoB or HSP60 peptides applied alone by following atherosclerotic lesion development.

Methods And Results: In this study, 2 weeks after the first immunization, Apobtm2SgyLdlrtm1Her/J mice were placed on a high-fat diet for 8 weeks followed by 2 weeks on a normal diet allowing the mice to adapt to the environment before sacrifice.

Production and purification of low calcium response protein H of Chlamydophila pneumoniae.

Chlamydophila pneumoniae possesses a type III secretion system (TTSS), which allows the bacteria to secrete effector molecules into the inclusion membrane and into the cytosol of the host cell. Low calcium response protein H (LcrH), as a part of the TTSS, is a chaperone protein expressed from the middle to late stages of the chlamydial developmental cycle. Gene of LcrH (CPn0811) in a 6His-tagged form was cloned from C.