| abstract |
The invention describes a novel exposed surface protein of Haemophilus influenzae or Haemophilus related species. The protein called protein D is an Ig receptor for human IgD and has an apparent molecular weight of 42,000. Protein D can be detected in all of the 116 strains isolated from Haemophilus influenzae, encapsulated or not, studied. Protein from all strains has immunogenic similarities in addition to the same apparent molecular weight since Protein D from all strains interacts with three different monoclonal mouse antibodies and human monoclonal IgD. The invention describes a process for the purification of protein D. It also describes the cloning of the protein D gene from H. influenzae in E. coli as well as the nucleotide sequence and the deduced amino acid sequence. |