[The effect of the conditions for Neisseria meningitidis cultivation on the protein composition in the protein-polysaccharide complex--the base of meningococcal serogroup B vaccine].

New data concerning the influence of cultivation conditions on the synthesis aimed at producing immunologically active antigens of group B Neisseria meningitides were obtained. The combination of conditions (deficiency in ions of iron, pH of the medium, growth phase of the culture) capable of essentially increasing (9- to 28-fold) the content of iron-dependent protein with a mol. wt. of 75-76 kD, was selected. At the same time the content of other immunologically active proteins with mol. wt. of 92-94 kD, 100-102 kD and 141-144 kD perceptibly increased (1.5 to 2.2-fold). Group B meningococcal vaccine prepared on the basis of native protein-polysaccharide complex with a higher content of the above-mentioned species-specific proteins may be expected to have a wider spectrum of immunological action.