Overexpression, Purification, and Immunogenicity of Recombinant Porin Proteins of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhi (S. Typhi)

Abstract

Porin proteins of Gram-negative bacteria are outer membrane proteins that act as receptors for bacteriophages and are involved in a variety of functions like solute transport, pathogenesis, and immunity. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi), a Gram-negative bacterium, is the causative agent of typhoid fever. Porins of S. Typhi have been shown to have a potential role in diagnostics and vaccination. In the present study, the major outer membrane proteins OmpF and OmpC from S. Typhi were cloned in pQE30UA vector and expressed in E. coli. The immunogenic nature of the recombinant porin proteins were evaluated by ELISA by raising hyperimmune sera in Swiss Albino mice with three different adjuvants (i.e., Freund's adjuvant and two human-compatible adjuvants like montanide and aluminium hydroxide gel) and proved to be immunogenic. The recombinant OmpF and OmpC generated in this work may be used for further studies for vaccination and diagnostics.