The invention relates to a novel process for the purification of urease from Helicobacter pylori, in which the urease is purified from a cell-free extract by chromatography on a dye ligand chromatography material. Helicobacter pylori is a helical human pathogenic rod which populates the mucus layer of the antrum region of the stomach. Investigations in recent years have shown that an infection with Helicobacter pylori in man may be associated with an increased prevalence of gastric and duodenal ulcers. Furthermore, infection with this microorganism is a principal risk factor for the development of gastric carcinomas.

Characteristic of bacteria of the species Helicobacter pylori is the production of large amounts of a urease (EC 3.5.1.5) with high activity. It is suspected that this enzyme makes possible the population of the stomach by the bacteria by protecting the bacteria from the gastric acid by the production of ammonia. The urease is a symmetrical hexamer having a molecular weight of about 550 kD, which is composed of two different subunits, UreA and UreB, with a molecular weight of about 30 kD and 64 kD respectively. In contrast to other bacterial ureases, which are cytoplasmic, the urease of Helicobacter pylori appears to be associated with the cell surface (Hawtin et al., J. Gen. Microbiol. 136 (1990), 1995-2000) . Experiments in the mouse model showed that the urease is a protective antigen and thus suitable as a constituent of a vaccine (Michetti et al. , Gastroenterology IT7 (1994), 1002-1011) . A requirement for the use of the urease in a vaccine is the preparation of large amounts of this protein in pure form. This necessitates processes which allow an inexpensive and efficient purification of the enzyme. Different processes for the purification of

the urease from Helicobacter pylori have already been described which, however, are not suitable for the preparation of large amounts of the enzyme. The purification described by Hu and Mobley (Infect. Immun. 58 (1990), 992-998) comprises, for example, a chromatographic purification in four stages lanion- exchange chromatography, HIC chromatography, cation- exchange chromatography and gel filtration) and is thus very cost- and time-intensive. The purification of the urease by means of affinity chromatography on columns which are coupled to monoclonal antibodies against urease

(see, for example, Turbett et al. , FEMS Microbiol.

Immunol. 76 (1991) , 19-24; Turbett et al . , Infect. Immun.

60 (1992) , 5259-5266) , necessitates, on the one hand, the production of large amounts of monoclonal antibodies and, on the other hand, has the disadvantage that the purified product is contaminated to a certain extent with monoclonal antibodies.

The present invention is thus based on the object of making available a simple and efficient process for the purification of urease from Helicobacter pylori.

This object is achieved by the preparation of the embodiments described in the patent claims.

The invention thus relates to a process for the purification of urease from Helicobacter pylori, in which

(i) a urease-containing extract from Helicobacter pylori is brought into contact with a dye ligand chromatography material in a magnesium-containing buffer with a pH in the acidic range; and (ii) the urease bound to the dye ligand chromatography material is eluted.

The process according to the invention is based on the surprising effect that the urease from Helicobacter pylori remains in solution when the pH is lowered if a defined amount of magnesium ions is present in the buffer used, and under the same conditions binds with high affinity to a dye ligand chromatography material. Under these conditions, the majority of the other proteins from Helicobacter pylori extracts

precipitate from the solution and can thus be separated even before dye ligand chromatography. Furthermore, the urease bound to the dye ligand chromatography material can be eluted using a pH gradient, only a low contamina- tion with foreign protein occurring. This makes it possible to obtain the urease in almost pure form even in a one-stage process and to prepare it in pure form by means of a subsequent purification step, for example by means of conventional anion-exchange chromatography. The term urease-containing extract in the context of the present invention comprises any type of extracts of Helicobacter pylori which contain proteins with the biological activity of a urease. In this case, they are preferably cell-free extracts which can be obtained by disruption of the cells and separation of insoluble constituents. The preparation of a urease-containing extract of this type can be carried out, for example, by the processes described in the literature (see, for example, Turbett et al. , FEMS Microbiol. Immunol. 76 (1991), 19-24; Turbett et al., Infect. Immun. 60 (1992), 5259-5266; Hu and Mobley, Infect. Immun. 58 (1990), 992- 998) . In this context, Helicobacter pylori cells are first cultured and harvested according to known processes. The cells resuspended in a suitable buffer are then disrupted in a hypotonic buffer by means of ultrasound or French press and cell debris is centrifuged off.

In a preferred embodiment of the process according to the invention, the urease-containing extract is obtained by disrupting the cells of a bacterial suspension of Helicobacter pylori by ultrasonic treatment and centrifuging off insoluble constituents. The buffer used in this case preferably has a pH in the neutral range and is magnesium-free. The concentration of magnesium ions necessary for the process according to the invention is preferably set by addition of magnesium ions after the ultrasonic treatment. This leads to an increase in the urease yield.

In the context of the present invention, the term

dye ligand chromatography comprises any type of purification of the urease from Helicobacter pylori on a support material on which a dye is immobilized.

In a preferred embodiment, the dye coupled to the support material is a triazine dye. Dyes of this type contain ionized groups and a conjugated ring system and bind in a non-specific manner to the effector centres of proteins. Particularly preferred is the use of support materials to which the triazine dye Cibacron blue" (Ciba- Geigy) is coupled, as well as of support materials to which a Basilen dye (BASF) is coupled. Both Cibacron and Basilen dyes are reactive dyes based on onochlorotria- zine and differ only by the anilinesulphonic acid substi¬ tuted on the triazine ring, which occurs in three posi- tional isomer forms. The structural formulae of the preferably used triazine dyes Cibacron blue or Basilen blue" are shown in Figure 2. Possible support materials are in principle all support materials customarily used in chromatographic processes. An example of suitable dye ligand chromatography materials is the gel marketed under the trade name BLTJEHyperD" (Bio Sepra) , which contains as the ligand a Basilen dye (BASF) as well as the gel marketed as Blue Sepharose 6FF" (Pharmacia LKB) , which contains as the ligand the dye Cibacron blue ". In the case of BLϋΕHyperD ^1' , a gel embedded in a polystyrene structure serves as a support, in the case of Blue Sepharose 6FF°, on the other hand, a pure agarose gel.

Preferably, the magnesium ion concentration of the urease-containing extract from Helicobacter pylori which is used for the purification of the urease is in a range from 15 mM to 25 mM, preferably 20 mM. The necessary magnesium ion concentration iε preferably set after preparation of the urease-containing extract and before addition to the dye ligand chromatography material.

In a preferred embodiment of the process according to the invention, the pH of the urease- containing extract which is used for the purificεition of the urease is in a range from pH 3.8 to pH 7.8,

preferably in a range from pH 4.8 to pH 5.0. In principle, to adjust the pH any organic or inorganic acid can be used. Acetic acid is preferably used for this purpose. The adjustment of the pH is preferably carried out after the required concentration of magnesium ions has been set.

At the magnesium ion concentrations and pH values indicated, it is guaranteed that the urease remains in solution, whereas a majority of the other proteins present in the extract precipitate. These are preferably separated off before the urease-containing extract is brought into contact with the dye ligand chromatography material, for example by centrifugation. This denotes a first purification step. Furthermore, it is guaranteed that the urease binds efficiently to the dye ligand chromatography material and remains bound during the washing of the material to remove non-bound proteins.

The purification of the urease from Helicobacter pylori with the aid of a dye ligand chromatography material can be carried out either in a batch process or using a column.

In the batch process, the urease-containing extract, for example, is directly incubated with the dye ligand chromatography material after separation of the precipitated proteins. A buffer is used here which has a magnesium ion concentration of preferably 3 to 30 mM, particularly preferably of 10 to 20 mM, and a pH in the ranges indicated above. After washing the dye ligand chromatography material several times with the buffer to remove unbound proteins, the urease bound to the material is eluted using a suitable buffer.

In the case of purification by column chromatography, the dye ligand chromatography material is packed, for example, in a suitable column and equilibrated with a buffer which has a magnesium ion concentration and a pH in the ranges indicated above. After application of the urease-containing extract, the column is thoroughly washed with the buffer. The urease bound to the column material is then eluted using a suitable buffer.

The elution of the urease can be carried out by increasing the salt concentration or the pH, e.g. by means of a stepwise or continuous gradient. On account of the more strongly occurring elution of foreign proteins likewise bound to the column, however, the elution of the urease by increasing the salt concentration may lead to a lower degree of purification.

In a preferred embodiment, therefore, the elution of the urease bound to the dye ligand chromatcgraphy material is carried out by increasing the pH. The pH of the buffer used for elution is in this case preferably above a pH of 5.0, particularly preferably in a range from pH 7.8 to pH 9.0. The use of a buffer having a pH of 7.8 or higher guarantees that the bound urease is eluted efficiently from the dye ligand chromatography material. The buffer used for elution can contain magnesium, ions, preferably in a range from 3 to 30 mM, particularly preferably from 10 to 20 mM, or be free of mag-nesium ions. The purification of the urease from Helicobacter pylori by dye ligand chromatography already yields a largely pure urease with a low contamination by foreign protein (see Figure 1) .

In a further preferred embodiment of the pirocesε according to the invention, a fine purification of the urease by a further chromatography step follows the purification by dye ligand chromatography. All chromatography processes customary in the fieild of protein purification are suitable in this context, inter alia also cation-exchange chromatography or HIC chromatography, gel filtration, etc.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the fine purification of the urease is carried out by anion- exchange chromatography. To this end, the irease- containing eluate obtained in the dye ligand chromatography is applied directly or af er concentration to an anion exchanger and, after the removal of xinbound proteins, eluted by increasing the salt concentration. For elution, for example, buffers having an increased

sodium ion concentration can be used.

Preferably, buffers having an increased magnesium ion concentration are used. This makes possible the selective elution of the urease by a single-stage gradient. In contrast to this, elution by means of increased sodium ion concentrations necessitates a continuously rising gradient. The magnesium ion concentration in the buffer used for elution is preferably in the range from 30 to 50 mM and particularly preferably 40 mM. The use of buffers of increased magnesium ion concentration for elution of the urease from an anion exchanger makes possible both a simplification of the purification process and a higher degree of purity of the eluted urease. With the aid of purification by anion exchange chromatography, contaminations by foreign proteins are efficiently removed and the urease is obtained in pure form (see Figure 1) . The material of the anion exchanger used can in principle be any anion exchanger customarily used in chromatography processes. Preferably, anion exchangers are used which have a quaternary ammonium group. An example of an anion exchanger of this type which is particularly preferred in the context of the present invention iε the material marketed by Pharmacia LKB under the name RESOURCE ζf.

In comparison with the previously known processes for the purification of urease from Helicobacter pylori or from other bacteria, the described process by means of dye ligand chromatography offers the advantage of a simple and rapid isolation of the urease in high yield.

Furthermore, the described process is inexpensive, aε the material for dye ligand chromatography is a frequently reusable material.

Description of the figures Figure 1 shows an SDS gel electrophoresis of samples of various purification steps of the purification of the urease from Helicobacter pylori described in Examples 1, 2 and 3.

Track 1: 5 μl of low marker (Pharmacia)

Track 2: 5 μl of crude extract

Track 3 : 5 μl of supernatant after centrifugation

Track 4: 5 μl of residue after centrifugation Track 5 : 5 μl of runnings of BLUE HyperD

Track 6: 5 μl of eluate of the regeneration with 1 M NaCl of BLUE HyperD

Track 7: 5 μl of urease eluate of BLUE HyperD

Track 8: 5 μl of runnings of RESOURCE Q (in 100 mM NaCl) Track 9: 5 μl of urease eluate of RESOURCE Q

Track 10: 5 μl of low marker, 1:20 (Pharmacia)

Marker:

Phosphorylase b 94 kD

Albumin 67 kD Ovalbumin 43 kD

Carbonic anhydrase 30 kD

Trypsin inhibitor 20 . , 1 kD α- actalbumin 14 . , 4 kD

Figure 2 shows the structural formulae of the triazine dyes Cibacron blue and Basilen blue .

The examples illustrate the invention.

Example 1

Preparation of a cell-free urease-containing extract of Helicobacter pylori If not stated otherwise, all steps in the purification of the urease were carried out εit room temperature. To prepare a cell-free extract, bacteria of the species Helicobacter pylori were cultured according to known methods. 200 ml of a bacteria-containing suspeπion were centrifuged off and washed several times with 20 mM tris/HCl buffer (pH 7.0) . The cell precipitate was taken up in 20 ml of 20 mM tris/HCl buffer (pH 6.9) . The bacterial cells were disrupted by ultrasonic treatment and the insoluble constituents were removed as a sediment by centrifugation. The urease-containing

supernatant (crude extract) waε used as a starting material for the purification of the urease by chromatographic processes.

Example 2

Purification of the urease from Helicobacter pylori by dye ligand chromatography

To purify the urease, the magnesium ion concentration of the crude extract obtained according to Example 1 waε first adjusted to 20 mM using a 1 M MgCl ₂ solution. The pH was then adjusted to pH 4.8. To do this, dilute acetic acid (0.25%) was added with stirring. In this process, a majority of the foreign proteins precipi¬ tated. These were separated off by centrifugation (10 min at 3000 rpm; 4°C) . Under these conditions, the urease remained in solution and was found in the supernatant. The supernatant waε used for purification by dye ligand chromatography.

The material BLUEHyperD ^* from Bio Sepra was used for dye ligand chromatography and was packed into a column (26 mm x 150 mm; gel height 16 mm) . Before the application of the urease-containing extract, the column was equilibrated with 10 mM acetate buffer, 10 mM MgCl ₂ *6H _j O, pH 4.8. Column chromatography waε carried out with the aid of an FPLC apparatus (Pharmacia LKB) . The elution of proteins was detected by meanε of a UV detector.

The urease-containing supernatant was applied to the equilibrated column. After application, the column was washed with the equilibration buffer until proteins were no longer detectable in the runnings. The elution of the urease bound to the dye ligand chromatography column was carried out with the aid of 20 mM tris/HCl buffer, pH 7.8. Protein-containing fractions were collected. For documentation of the purification, samples were removed in the individual purification steps, treated under denaturing conditions and applied to a 4-20% strength tris/glycine gradient gel (according to

- 10 -

Laemmli) . Detection was carried out by means of silver staining by methods known to the person skilled in the art.

As can be seen from Figure 1, dye ligand chromatography already yields a relatively pure urease. The two readily visible bands in the range of 67 and 30 kD are the subunits UreB and UreA of the urease eluted from the dye ligand chromatography column.

Example 3

Fine purification of the urease by anion-exchange chromatography

In order to purify the substantially pure urease obtained by dye ligand chromatography from residual foreign proteins, the eluate of the BLUEHyperD ^Φ column was purified further by anion-exchange chromatography. The chromatography was again carried out with the aid of an FPLC unit (Pharmacia LKB) . The urease-containing eluate of the dye ligand chromatography column was applied directly to a column (6.4 mm x 30 mm; ςrel bed volume 1 ml) equilibrated with 20 mM tris/HCl, pH 7.2,

100 mM NaCl, which as an anion exchanger contained the material RESOURCE Q ^* (Pharmacia LKB) , at a flow rate of 190 cm/h. The column waε then washed with the equilibration buffer until proteins were no longer detectable in the runnings. The elution of the urease bound to the column was carried out with the aid of 20 mM tris/HCl buffer, 40 mM MgCl ₂ , pH 7.2. The protein- containing fractions were collected and analysed by means of SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. As can be seen from Figure 1, the urease purified further by anion exchange chromatography is highly pure, and in an SDS gel, besides the two subunits of the urease, nearly no foreign proteins can be detected after silver staining. The efficiency of the process according to the invention is clear from the following tables. A purification table for the purification steps described

in Examples 1 to 3 iε shown.

Table I

1. The total protein concentration of the respective sample was determined by the Bradford method (Bio-Rad) .

2. Explanations: Yield 1 = step yield

Yield 2 = total yield

Loading 1 = loading of the BLUE HyperD column, d = 2.6 cm, h _Sel = 1.6 cm Loading 2 = loading of the RESOURCE Q column, d = 6.4 mm, h _atl = 30 mm Wet sediment (WS) = Helicobacter pylori bacteria after centrifugation

The yield of urease was determined by densito etric measurement.

The following table shows the urease yields of a particular chromatographic step determined in the quantitative assessment of an SDS gel (12% strength tris- glycine gel according to Laemmli; staining: Coomassie Blue) . The measurements were carried out using a dual- wavelength TLC scanner CS-930 (Shimadzu) .

Table II

64 kD urease band

Fraction V (ml) Area Area measured total (urease)

BLUE HyperD CE-S (appli¬ 15.5 11337 1757 ₂ 3.5 cation)

AC-E 15.5 8487 131548.5 74.86%

AC-1M NaCl 15.5 1650 25575

RESOURCE Q AC-E (appli¬ 14.5 7487 108561.5 cation)

IEC-P1 9 1264 11375

IEC-E 7.5 9604 72030 66.35%

IEC-1M NaCl 9 745 6705

Abbreviations used in the Tables: CE (crude extract) = raw material

S supernatant R residue

Blue column = Blue HyperD column

AC affinity chromatography F runnings E eluate 1 M NaCl eluate with 1 M NaCl solution

IEC i o n - e x c h a n g e chromatography

Pl peak/after washing with equilibration buffer

(100 mM NaCl)