Immune response to cholera toxin epitope inserted in Salmonella flagellin.

Bacterial flagella are potent immunogens and aromatic-dependent (aro) Salmonella as live vaccines evoke humoral and cellular immune responses. Such strains expressing epitopes of protective antigens as inserts in flagellin would provide a novel way to vaccinate against diseases caused by unrelated pathogens. A synthetic oligonucleotide specifying an epitope of cholera toxin subunit B was inserted in a Salmonella flagellin gene. The chimeric flagellin functioned normally and the epitope was expressed at the flagellar surface. Parenteral administration to mice of an aro A flagellin-negative strain of S. dublin expressing the chimeric flagellin gene evoked antibody to cholera toxin.