Inventors:
David S. Stephens - Stone Mountain GA, US
Yih-Ling Tzeng - Atlanta GA, US
Susu Zughaier - Atlanta GA, US
Shanta Zimmer - Atlanta GA, US
Assignee:
Emory University - Atlanta GA
International Classification:
A61K 39/02, A61K 39/095, A61K 39/38, A01N 43/04, C07H 1/00
US Classification:
4242341, 4241841, 4242501, 4242491, 514 23, 5361231
Abstract:
Provided herein are mutant strains of which produce Kdo-free lipid A as well as the Kdo-free lipid A molecules and immunogenic compositions containing such Kdo-free lipid A molecules from a strain containing a genetically stable mutation which inactivates a gene selected from the group consisting of genes encoding arabinose-5-phosphate isomerase, CMP-Kdo synthetase and CMP-Kdo transferase. NMB206 is a specifically exemplified strain which harbors a stable insertion mutation in the gene (kpsF) encoding A5P isomerase; strain NMB-249 is a specifically exemplified strain with a stable insertion mutation in the gene (kdtA) encoding CMP-Kdo synthetase, and strain NMB259 is specifically exemplified strain with a stable insertion mutation in the gene (kdsB) encoding CMP-Kdo transferase. Also provided by the present invention are methods for the production of Lipid A flee of 3-keto-3-deoxyoctanoic acid using these genetically stable mutants. Also describes is pYT250, a plasmid functional in neisseriae and in enterics such as.