Syntheses and immunologic properties of Escherichia coli O157O-specific polysaccharide and Shiga toxin 1 B subunit conjugates in mice

Escherichia coli O157 is the major cause of diarrhea-associated hemolytic u remic syndrome (HUS). Strains causing HUS contain either Shiga toxin 1 (Stx 1) or Stx2, or both. In adult volunteers, conjugate vaccines of detoxified lipopolysaccharide (LPS) elicited bactericidal antibodies to E. coli O157. Here, the detoxified LPS was conjugated with improved schemes to the nontox ic B subunit of Stx1. Mice injected with these bivalent conjugates elicited both bactericidal antibodies to E. coli O157 and neutralization antibodies to Stx1.