A method of reducing or preventing the development of airway inflammation in a subject includes the step of infecting the respiratory tract of a subject an amount of a composition including a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and live attenuated pertactin-deficient Bordetella bacteria sufficient to colonize the respiratory tract of the subject. The step of infecting the subject with the live attenuated pertactin-deficient Bordetella bacteria results in reduction or prevention of the development of airway inflammation in the subject.

Immunogenic peptides, fusion polypeptides, and carrier molecules which include the immunogenic peptides, and immunogenic compositions which include these immunogenic peptides, fusion heterologous polypeptides, and/or carrier molecules bearing the peptides, and which are able to elicit antibody production against infectious organisms, are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of making and their use in causing an antibody response against one or more strains of infectious organism, such as B. pertussis (Bp).

A mutated Bordetella strain comprising at least a mutated ptx gene, a deleted or mutated dnt gene and a heterologous ampG gene is provided. The attenuated mutated Bordetella strain can be used in an immunogenic composition or a vaccine for the treatment or prevention of a Bordetella infection. Use of the attenuated Bordetella strain for the manufacture of a vaccine or immunogenic composition, as well as methods for protecting mammals against infection by Bordetella are also provided.

The present invention relates to processes for Bordetella fermentation and virulence factor production, especially PT production, for large scale manufacturing. More particularly, processes including a medium conditioning step carried out prior to inoculation.

The present invention relates to processes for Bordetella fermentation and virulence factor production, especially PT production, for large scale manufacturing. More particularly, processes including a medium conditioning step carried out prior to inoculation.

The present invention provides genetically engineered strains of the Bordetella species to include one or more mutations preventing expression of the gene encoding the Bordetella Sigma Regulator (also referred to as “bsr,” “btrS,” and “brpL”), compositions and vaccines thereof, and the use of such engineered strains in methods to protect against Bordetella spp, including but not limited to Bordetella bronchiseptica, B. pertussis, B. parapertussis, B. homelsii, or B. avium. In some aspects, the present invention provides the Bordetella bronchiseptica strain RB50Δbsr, compositions and vaccines thereof, and the use of Bordetella bronchiseptica strain RB50Δfer in methods to protect against Bordetella spp, including but not limited to Bordetella bronchiseptica, B. pertussis, B. parapertussis, B. homelsii, or B. avium.

The present invention is directed to the cells, compositions and methods for the production of recombinant protein, wherein an f-met group on the 5′-terminus is enzymatically removed. In particular, the invention is directed to a production process for obtaining high levels of soluble recombinant CRM.sub.197 protein from E. coli. Cells preferably contain one or more mutations of disulfide reductase genes, so that disulfide reductase activity is reduced. The invention also relates to purification method for CRM.sub.197 as well as characterization of properly folded CRM.sub.197 protein.

The present invention is directed to the cells, compositions and methods for the production of recombinant protein, wherein an f-met group on the 5′-terminus is enzymatically removed. In particular, the invention is directed to a production process for obtaining high levels of soluble recombinant CRM.sub.197 protein from E. coli. Cells preferably contain one or more mutations of disulfide reductase genes, so that disulfide reductase activity is reduced. The invention also relates to purification method for CRM.sub.197 as well as characterization of properly folded CRM.sub.197 protein.

The present disclosure provides a kit and method for constructing a long-acting depression animal model. The present disclosure adopts Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) (or Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis)) and low-dose pertussis toxin (PTX) for combined induction, which greatly reduces modeling cost. A mouse model constructed by the method of the present disclosure can clearly distinguish a time interval of pathological behaviors from a time interval of depression-like behaviors and has prominent face validity and predictive validity. The method of the present disclosure is simple and convenient and does not require a large number of tedious daily operations as the depression model construction by chronic unpredictable stress, chronic restraint stress, social defeat, mother-child separation, or the like. The mouse model of the present disclosure can provide a valuable long-term intervention window for research on antidepressant therapy.

The present disclosure provides a kit and method for constructing a long-acting depression animal model. The present disclosure adopts Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) (or Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis)) and low-dose pertussis toxin (PTX) for combined induction, which greatly reduces modeling cost. A mouse model constructed by the method of the present disclosure can clearly distinguish a time interval of pathological behaviors from a time interval of depression-like behaviors and has prominent face validity and predictive validity. The method of the present disclosure is simple and convenient and does not require a large number of tedious daily operations as the depression model construction by chronic unpredictable stress, chronic restraint stress, social defeat, mother-child separation, or the like. The mouse model of the present disclosure can provide a valuable long-term intervention window for research on antidepressant therapy.