The present invention discloses isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding a hyperimmune serum reactive antigen or a fragment thereof as well as hyperimmune serum reactive antigens or fragments thereof from S. agalactiae , methods for isolating such antigens and specific uses thereof.
1. A composition comprising an isolated hyperimmune serum-reactive antigen fragment consisting of an amino acid sequence of 399-417, 503-519, 544-563, 489-556, 386-458, or 458-624 of SEQ ID NO:364.
2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hyperimmune serum-reactive antigen fragment binds to anti- S. agalactiae serum.
3. The composition of claim 1 , further defined as comprising at least two different hyperimmune serum-reactive antigen fragments.
4. The composition of claim 3 , wherein the at least two different hyperimmune serum-reactive antigen fragments are both bind to anti- S.agalactiae serum.
5. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising an immunostimulatory substance.
6. The composition of claim 5 , wherein the immunostimulatory substance is a polycationic polymer, an immunostimulatory non-methylated deoxynucleotide (ODN), a peptide containing at least two LysLeuLys motifs alum, or a Freund's complete or incomplete adjuvant.
7. A pharmaceutical composition comprising:
(a) an isolated hyperimmune serum-reactive antigen fragment consisting of an amino acid sequence of 399-417, 503-519, 544-563, 489-556, 386-458, or 458-624 of SEQ ID NO:364; and
(b) an immunostimulatory substance.