1. A composition for conferring to a subject immunity against a gastrointestinal (GI) pathogen comprising as an active ingredient at least one microorganism transformed with at least one vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence coding for an immunoglobulin-like polypeptide having specific binding affinity for said pathogen and optionally comprising pharmaceutically or veterinarily acceptable carrier, adjuvant or diluent.
2. The composition of claim 1, wherein said pathogen is any one of human and animal gastrointestinal enterobacterium.
3. The composition of claim 2, wherein said gastrointestinal enterobacterium is a Salmonella species.
4. The composition of claim 3, wherein said Salmonella is Salmonella enteriditis serogroup D.
5. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said immunoglobulin-like polypeptide is a single chain variable fragment (ScFv) antibody having binding affinity to gastrointestinal enterobacteria, said single chain variable fragment antibody (ScFv) consisting essentially of:
a. a first polypeptide comprising the binding portion of the light chain variable region of an antibody;
b. a second polypeptide comprising the binding portion of the heavy chain variable region of an antibody; and
c. a polypeptide linker linking said first and second polypeptides (a) and (b).
6. The composition of claim 5, wherein said single chain variable fragment antibody (ScFv) is encoded by the nucleic acid sequence substantially as denoted by SEQ ID NO:1, and consisting essentially of:
a. a first polypeptide comprising the binding portion of the light chain variable region of an antibody against Salmonella enteriditis serogroup D, said polypeptide being encoded by the nucleic acid sequence substantially as denoted by SEQ ID NO:2;
b. a second polypeptide comprising the binding portion of the heavy chain variable region of an antibody against Salmonella enteriditis serogroup D, said polypeptide being encoded by the nucleic acid sequence substantially as denoted by SEQ ID NO:3; and
c. a glycineserine polypeptide linker linking said first and second polypeptides, encoded by the nucleic acid sequence substantially as denoted by SEQ ID NO:4.
7. The composition of claim 6, wherein said transformed microorganism is any one of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganism.
8. The composition of claim 7, wherein said microorganism is any one of bacteria and yeast.
9. The composition of claim 8, wherein said bacterium is E. coli.
10. The composition of claim 1, wherein said subject is any one of human and domestic animal.
11. The composition of claim 10, wherein said domestic animal is a domestic bird.
12. An isolated DNA molecule coding for an immunoglobulin-like polypeptide having specific binding affinity for a gastrointestinal (GI) pathogen.
13. The DNA of claim 12, wherein said pathogen is a human or animal gastrointestinal (GI) enterobacterium.
14. The DNA of claim 13, wherein said immunoglobulin-like polypeptide is a single-chain variable fragment (ScFv) antibody.
15. The DNA according to claim 14, wherein said single-chain variable fragment antibody has specific affinity for a gastrointestinal pathogen, said single-chain variable fragment antibody consisting essentially of:
a. a first polypeptide comprising the binding portion of the light chain variable region of an antibody;
b. a second polypeptide comprising the binding portion of the heavy chain variable region of an antibody; and
c. a polypeptide linker linking said first and second polypeptides (a) and (b).
16. The DNA of claim 15, wherein said gastrointestinal pathogen is Salmonella species.
17. The DNA of claim 16, wherein said gastrointestinal pathogen is Salmonella enteriditis serotype D.
18. The DNA of claim 17, being the DNA substantially as denoted by SEQ ID NO:1.
19. A replicable cloning or expression vehicle comprising the DNA molecule of any one of claims 12 to 18.
20. The vehicle of claim 19, which is the pAM20 phagemid substantially as specified in the Examples.
21. A host cell transformed with the vehicle of any one of claims 19 and 20.
22. The host cell of claim 21, which is any one of a prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell.
23. The host cell of claim 22, which is any one of bacterial and yeast cell.
24. The host cell of claim 23, wherein said bacterium is E. coli.
25. The host cell of any one of claims 21 to 24, capable of in vivo producing a biologically active immunoglobulin-like polypeptide that recognizes and specifically binds to a gastrointestinal enteropathogen.
26. The host cell of claim 25, wherein said immunoglobulin-like polypeptide is a single-chain variable fragment (ScFv) antibody that recognizes and specifically binds to said gastrointestinal pathogen.
27. The host cell of claim 26, capable of in vivo producing a single-chain variable fragment (ScFv) antibody that blocks colonization of gastrointestinal pathogens in the intestinal tract of an animal, when introduced to said animal.
28. A single-chain variable fragment (ScFv) antibody molecule having affinity for Salmonella species, said single-chain variable fragment antibody consisting essentially of:
a. a first polypeptide comprising the binding portion of the light chain variable region of an antibody;
b. a second polypeptide comprising the binding portion of the heavy chain variable region of an antibody; and
c. a polypeptide linker linking said first and second polypeptides (a) and (b).
29. The single-chain variable fragment antibody molecule of claim 28, encoded by the nucleic acid sequence substantially as denoted by SEQ ID NO:1.
30. A method of treating infections of gastrointestinal enteropathogens in a subject in need of such treatment, comprising the administration to said subject of microorganisms transformed with DNA encoding at least one immunoglobulin-like polypeptide or with an expression vector comprising the same or of pharmaceutically or veterinary composition comprising the same, wherein said polypeptide has specific binding affinity to said pathogen.
31. The method of claim 30, for treating infections of gastrointestinal enteropathogenic bacteria in a subject, comprising the administration to said subject of microorganisms transformed with DNA encoding at least one single-chain antibody or of an expression a vector comprising the same or of a pharmaceutical or veterinary composition comprising the same, said single-chain antibody comprises:
a. a first polypeptide comprising the binding portion of the light chain variable region of an antibody;
b. a second polypeptide comprising the binding portion of the heavy chain variable region of an antibody; and
c. a polypeptide linker linking said first and second polypeptides (a) and (b).
32. The method of any one of claims 30 and 31, wherein said subject is any one of human or domestic animal.
33. The method of claim 32, wherein said gastrointestinal enterobacterium is Salmonella species.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein said single-chain variable fragment (ScFv) antibody is encoded by the nucleic acid sequence substantially as denoted by SEQ ID NO:1, and consists essentially of:
a. a first polypeptide comprising the binding portion of the light chain variable region of an antibody against Salmonella enteriditis serogroup D, said polypeptide being encoded by the nucleic acid sequence substantially as denoted by SEQ ID NO:2;
b. a second polypeptide comprising the binding portion of the heavy chain variable region of an antibody against Salmonella enteriditis serogroup D, said polypeptide being encoded by the nucleic acid sequence substantially as denoted by SEQ ID NO:3; and
c. a glycineserine polypeptide liner linking said first and second polypeptides (a) and (b) encoded by the nucleic acid sequence substantially as denoted by SEQ ID NO:4.
35. The method of claim 30, wherein upon administration to said subject said microorganism in vivo produces an immunoglobulin-like polypeptide in said subject, which polypeptide recognizes and specifically binds to an enterogenic pathogen.
36. The method of claim 35, wherein upon administration to said subject said microorganism in vivo produces a single-chain variable fragment antibody in said subject intestine, which antibody recognizes and specifically binds to a gastrointestinal pathogen.
37. The method of claim 36, wherein said single-chain variable fragment antibody blocks colonization of gastrointestinal pathogens in the intestinal tract of said subject.
38. The method of claim 37, wherein said subject is any one of human or domestic animal.
39. The method of claim 38, wherein said domestic animal is a domestic bird.
40. The method of any one of claims 30 to 39, wherein said microorganism is any one of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms.
41. The method of claim 40, wherein said microorganism is any one of bacteria and yeast.
42. The method of claim 41, wherein said bacteria is E. coli.
43. The method of any one of claims 30 to 42, wherein said composition is administered via drinking water, feed, spraying, oral gavage andor directly into the digestive tract.
44. The method of any one of claims 30 to 43, further comprising the step of controlling the expression of said single-chain variable fragment antibody by continuously inducing the production of said single-chain variable fragment antibody.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for providing status update of a transaction in a network environment, the method comprising:
receiving a status update request by a server, from a communication device of a user, to track status of the transaction between the user and another party, wherein the status update request comprises at least one of tracking parameters and update parameters, associated with the status update, and wherein the update parameters define preferences of the user;
polling the other party through a communication network, based on the tracking parameters and the update parameters to obtain an updated status of the transaction; and
providing the updated status of the transaction to the communication device of the user based on the update parameters.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises obtaining the status update request through at least one of USSD message, SMS, e-mail, and Interactive Voice Response Systems.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving further comprises obtaining at least one of the tracking parameters and the update parameters associated with the transaction, in a separate message from the user.
4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the obtaining comprises:
providing to the user an exhaustive list of the other party details and the update parameters; and
receiving the user response corresponding to the tracking parameters and the update parameters.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the status update request is associated with a unique reference number (URN), wherein the URN allows unique identification of the tracking parameters and the update parameters associated with the status update request.
6. A system for providing updated status of a transaction comprises:
a processor;
a request analysis module coupled to the processor, configured to receive a status update request, from a user, to track status of the transaction between the user and other party, wherein the status update request comprises at least one of tracking parameters and update parameters, associated with the status update;
a querying module coupled to the processor, configured to poll the other party based on the tracking parameters and the update parameters to obtain an updated status of the transaction; and
a reporting module coupled to the processor, configured to provide the updated status of the transaction to the user based on the update parameters.
7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the request analysis module is further configured to obtain at least one of the tracking parameters and the update parameters associated with the transaction from the user.
8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the request analysis module is configured to:
provide an exhaustive list of other party details and update parameters to the user; and
receive the user response corresponding to the tracking parameters and update parameters.
9. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the request analysis module is further configured to associate the status update request with a unique reference number, wherein the URN allows unique identification of the tracking parameters and the update parameters associated with the status update request.
10. A computer readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for executing a method for providing status update for a transaction, the method comprising:
receiving a status update request, from a user, to track status of the transaction between the user and other party, wherein the status update request comprises at least of tracking parameters and update parameters associated with the status update;
polling the other party based on the tracking parameters and the user preferences to obtain an updated status of the transaction; and
providing the updated status of the transaction to the user based on the user preferences.