POLIOVIRUS HYBRIDS EXPRESSING NEUTRALIZATION EPITOPES FROM VARIABLE DOMAIN-I AND DOMAIN-IV OF THE MAJOR OUTER-MEMBRANE PROTEIN OF CHLAMYDIA-TRACHOMATIS ELICIT BROADLY CROSS-REACTIVE C-TRACHOMATIS-NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODIES

Trachoma and sexually transmitted diseases caused by Chlamydia trachom atis are major health problems worldwide. Epitopes from the variable d omains of the major outer membrane protein are candidates for vaccine development. We have constructed hybrid polioviruses expressing sequen ces from major outer membrane protein variable domains I and IV. Antis era to the hybrids could, in combination, strongly neutralize 8 of the 12 C. trachomatis serovars most commonly associated with oculogenital infections and weakly neutralize the others.