Rickettsia bellii cDNA and Antigen

Rickettsia bellii is a gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterium that is known to cause rickettsial diseases in humans. Its diverse set of cell surface and surface antigens play a vital role in the pathogenesis of rickettsial infections. Let’s explore some of the key antigens of Rickettsia bellii:

17 kDa surface antigen: This antigen is a highly immunogenic protein that is expressed on the surface of Rickettsia bellii. It is considered a major antigen and is often used as a diagnostic marker for rickettsial infections.

Sca14, Sca15, Sca5: These cell surface antigens, also known as surface cell antigens (Sca), are highly conserved in the genus Rickettsia. They are involved in the adhesion and invasion of the host cell and have been shown to induce protective immunity in animal models.

Surface antigen: Rickettsia bellii possesses a number of surface antigens that play a critical role in host-pathogen interactions. These antigens are highly variable and are thought to aid the bacterium in evading host immune responses.

Sca13, Sca4, Sca8, Sca3, Sca9: These Sca proteins are also cell surface antigens that are important for the pathogenesis of rickettsial infections. They are involved in various processes such as adherence to host cells, nutrient acquisition, and modulation of host immune responses.

The use of recombinant proteins/cDNA in academic research and therapeutic applications has skyrocketed. However, in heterologous expression systems, successful recombinant protein expression is dependent on a variety of factors, including codon preference, RNA secondary structure, and GC content. When compared to pre-optimization, more and more experimental results demonstrated that the expression level was dramatically increased, ranging from two to hundred times depending on the gene. Bioclone has created a proprietary technology platform that has resulted in the creation of over 6,000 artificially synthesized codon-optimized cDNA clones (cloned in E. coli expression Vector), which are ready for production of the recombinant proteins.