The preparation of A purified immunogenic pertactin from B. pertussis.

Pertactin, an outer membrane protein of Bordetella pertussis, was purified to apparent homogeneity. The purified pertactin was first extracted from the B. pertussis cells (strain 165) by heating for 1 h at 60 degrees C, followed by DEAE-Sepharose and Affi-Gel Blue chromatography. The purified pertactin migrated as a single band of 69-kDa and a pl of 5.9 and retains a high immunogenicity. The rabbit anti- pertactin antisera shows high specificity in ELISA. The purified pertactin is a potential candidate as immunogen for preparation of diagnostic reagents and as a vaccine component.