Priming immunization against cholera toxin and E. coli heat-labile toxin by a cholera toxin short peptide-beta-galactosidase hybrid synthesized in E. coli.

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Abstract
A synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide encoding for a small peptide was employed for the expression of this peptide in a form suitable for immunization. The encoded peptide, namely, the region 50‐64 of the B subunit of cholera toxin (CTP3), had previously been identified as a relevant epitope of cholera toxin. Thus, multiple immunizations with its conjugate to a protein carrier led to an efficient neutralizing response against native cholera toxin. Immunization with the resulting fusion protein of CTP3 and beta‐galactosidase, followed by a booster injection of a sub‐immunizing amount (1 microgram) of cholera toxin, led to a substantial level of neutralizing antibodies against both cholera toxin and the heat‐labile toxin of Escherichia coli.