To generate the final vaccine strain, we deleted lpxL1 and engineered the mutant to over-express fHbp v.1, designated ‘Triple KO, OE fHbp’. We also prepared two isogenic group W control strains: one with deleted lpxL1 and gna33, over-expressed fHbp v.1 with the capsule still expressed (‘Double KO, OE fHbp’), and

another with deleted lpxL1, capsule and gna33, but no fHbp over-expression (‘Triple KO’) ( Table 2). SDS–PAGE and Coomassie Blue staining of the proteins revealed a similar protein pattern in the three GMMA preparations. Densitometry indicated that in all three GMMA BMS-354825 cell line preparations, the relative amount of PorA to total protein is 5%. By silver stain, the GMMA contained similar levels of lipooligosaccharide. By capture ELISA, with recombinant fHbp as standard, approximately 3% of the total protein in Dabrafenib nmr GMMA from the Triple KO, OE fHbp was fHbp, and by Western blot, the two GMMA over-expressing fHbp had similar fHbp levels. To assess the endotoxic activity of the GMMA, we measured the release of

IL-6 by human PBMC after stimulation with different concentrations of GMMA from the Triple KO, OE fHbp mutant and the parent serogroup W wild type strain (Fig. 1C). Approximately 50-fold higher concentrations of GMMA from the mutant strain were required to stimulate the release of 200 pg/mL IL-6, confirming the decrease in endotoxic activity. We measured the ability of the GMMA to stimulate human TLR-4 in transfected HEK293 cells (Fig. 1D). Low concentrations of GMMA from the wild type bacteria stimulated TLR-4, as measured by increased NF-κB expression. Approximately 1000-fold higher concentrations of GMMA from the Triple KO, OE fHbp mutant were required for equivalent TLR-4 stimulation. These results are consistent with a strongly decreased ability of the LOS in GMMA from the serogroup W mutant to activate TLR-4 compared with GMMA from the non-detoxified parent wild type strain. We measured anti-fHbp v.1 antibody responses in individual serum samples by ELISA. GMMA from all mutants with

over-expressed fHbp elicited high anti-fHbp antibody responses, even at Sodium butyrate the lowest dose of 0.2 μg (Fig. 2). 5 μg Triple KO, OE fHbp GMMA induced significantly higher geometric mean titres than 5 μg Double KO, OE fHbp GMMA (P = 0.03) or 5 μg of recombinant fHbp v.1 (P < 0.001). GMMA from the Triple KO mutant without fHbp over-expression induced no measurable anti-fHbp antibody responses. The three serogroup W test strains were isolated in Ghana, Mali and Burkina Faso and expressed PorA subtype P1.5,2, which is identical to that expressed by the GMMA vaccine strains. Strain BF2/11 expressed fHbp v.1 (ID9) and the two other strains expressed fHbp v.2 (ID23). The seven group A strains tested were collected in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Sudan and Mali. They expressed a heterologous PorA compared to that in the GMMA, and fHbp v.1 (ID5).