Proteins, protein fragments, nucleic acids and vectors derived from Neisseria gonorrhoeae, as well as to methods of inducing immunity against N. gonorrhoeae. Also disclosed are antibodies binding to the proteins and protein fragments.

In one aspect, the invention relates to a composition including a first polypeptide having the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 and a second polypeptide having the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2. In one embodiment, the composition includes about 120 μg/ml of a first polypeptide including the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, 120 μg/ml of a second polypeptide including the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2, about 2.8 molar ratio polysorbate-80 to the first polypeptide, about 2.8 molar ratio polysorbate-80 to the second polypeptide, about 0.5 mg/ml aluminum, about 10 mM histidine, and about 150 mM sodium chloride. In one embodiment, a dose of the composition is about 0.5 ml in total volume. In one embodiment, two-doses of the composition induce a bactericidal titer against diverse heterologous subfamily A and subfamily B strains in a human.

Knockout of the meningococcal mltA homolog gives bacteria that spontaneously release vesicles that are rich in immunogenic outer membrane proteins and that can elicit cross-protective antibody responses with higher bactericidal titres than OMVs prepared by normal production processes. Thus the invention provides a bacterium having a knockout mutation of its mltA gene. The invention also provides a bacterium, wherein the bacterium: (i) has a cell wall that includes peptidoglycan; and (ii) does not express a protein having the lytic transglycosylase activity MltA protein. The invention also provides compositions comprising vesicles that, during culture of bacteria of the invention, are released into the culture medium.

Knockout of the meningococcal mltA homolog gives bacteria that spontaneously release vesicles that are rich in immunogenic outer membrane proteins and that can elicit cross-protective antibody responses with higher bactericidal titres than OMVs prepared by normal production processes. Thus the invention provides a bacterium having a knockout mutation of its mltA gene. The invention also provides a bacterium, wherein the bacterium: (i) has a cell wall that includes peptidoglycan; and (ii) does not express a protein having the lytic transglycosylase activity MltA protein. The invention also provides compositions comprising vesicles that, during culture of bacteria of the invention, are released into the culture medium.

The present invention provides mutated fHbp polypeptides and fusion proteins comprising said mutated fHbp polypeptides that are useful as components of immunogenic compositions for immunizing against Neisseria meningitidis infection.

The present invention provides mutated fHbp polypeptides and fusion proteins comprising said mutated fHbp polypeptides that are useful as components of immunogenic compositions for immunizing against Neisseria meningitidis infection.

Meningococcal vaccines can be improved by including multiple alleles or variants of fHbp, in order to provide broader coverage of the diversity which is known for this protein, and/or by reducing the quantity of an OMV component in each dose.

Meningococcal vaccines can be improved by including multiple alleles or variants of fHbp, in order to provide broader coverage of the diversity which is known for this protein, and/or by reducing the quantity of an OMV component in each dose.

In some aspects, the disclosure relates to compositions of peptide mimics useful in the treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae). In some embodiments, the peptide mimics are multi-antigenic molecules of a conserved gonococcal lipoohgosaccharaide (LOS) epitope. In some aspects, the disclosure relates to methods of making peptide mimics for the treatment of N. gonorrhoeae. In some aspects, the disclosure relates to methods of using peptide mimics for the treatment of N. gonorrhoeae.

In some aspects, the disclosure relates to compositions of peptide mimics useful in the treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae). In some embodiments, the peptide mimics are multi-antigenic molecules of a conserved gonococcal lipoohgosaccharaide (LOS) epitope. In some aspects, the disclosure relates to methods of making peptide mimics for the treatment of N. gonorrhoeae. In some aspects, the disclosure relates to methods of using peptide mimics for the treatment of N. gonorrhoeae.