Antigen presentation using novel particulate organelles from halophilic archaea

A presentation vehicle was developed based on particulate gas vesicles prod uced by halophilic archaea. Gas vesicle epitope displays were prepared usin g standard coupling methods or recombinant DNA technology. When presented i n the context of gas vesicle preparations, either the hapten, TNP, or a mod el six amino acid recombinant insert in the outer gas vesicle protein, GvpC was rendered immunogenic. Assays to quantify humoral responses indicated t hat each preparation elicited strong antibody responses in the absence of e xogenous adjuvant. Thus. each preparation elicited a humoral response when injected into mice and this response was long lived and exhibited immunolog ic memory. Recombinant gas vesicle preparations therefore constitute a new, self-adjuvanting carrier/display vehicle for presentation of an array of p eptidyl epitopes. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.