The expression of meningococcal LPS has previously been shown to be affected by growth conditions [44]. Baf-A1 This antigen induces bacterial antibodies in mice [35] but can also act as an adjuvant through the induction of a TLR4-dependent response [45]. In the present study, LPS production was elevated in the OMVs produced in MC.6M and may, therefore, have enhanced the ability of these OMVs to elicit a bactericidal antibody response. This study demonstrated that changes in the composition

of the growth medium used for the production of OMV vaccines affected the expression of both protein and LPS antigens and hence the ability of the vaccines to elicit a functional antibody response. It also highlights the utility of proteomic technology for monitoring the impact of changes in the manufacturing process of complex click here biological products like meningococcal OMV vaccines. Information on the protein composition of the 44/76 OMV vaccine may be useful for future reference and quality control studies. We are grateful to R. Sivaperuman, K. Konsmo, and to J. Lyngby and K. Bryn, all at Norwegian Institute of Public Health, for help with the cultivations for performing the SBA, and for determination of LPS with HPLC, respectively; to S. Frye, Institute of Microbiology, University of Oslo, Norway, for sequencing of the OpcA promoter,

and to D. Ala’Aldeen, M. Bos, A. Gorringe, G. Guillén, B. Kuipers, C.T. Sacchi, C. Tinsley, P.C.

Turner, and W. D. Zollinger for the gift of specific antibodies. The Norwegian MenB vaccine study was supported by EC-grant QLRT-CT-1999-00359. N. Tsolakos and C. Vipond acknowledge the financial support from NIBSC for their Ph.D. studentships. Parts of the study were published as abstracts at International Pathogenic Neisseria Conferences in 2002 and 2008. “
“Plague is a zoonotic disease caused by Yersinia pestis and assumes three forms of disease in humans: bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic. Bubonic and septicemic plague arise from flea bites in which this vector has previously fed on infected animals [1] and [2]. Without treatment, even bubonic plague results in high mortality, as does septicemic plague, and also causes secondary pneumonic plague [3]. Pneumonic plague is considered the most infectious form Mephenoxalone because this disease can be readily transmitted from person to person via inhalation of contaminated airborne droplets, and because of its rapid disease progression, there is a high mortality rate [3]. Throughout history, three major pandemics of plague disease have resulted in an estimated 200 million deaths, and plague still remains endemic in regions of Africa, Asia, and North and South America [1] and [2]. Therefore, development of efficacious vaccines for plague is warranted. At present, there are no licensed plague vaccines in the United States.