Disclosed is a novel vaccine against
Escherichia coli (E. coli) responsible for urinary tract infections. The vaccine is a recombinant chimeric
protein which is prepared by linking by
genetic recombination a
gene encoding an antigenic
determinant of uropathogenic E. coli to a CTXA2B
gene encoding nontoxic A2 and B subunits of
Vibrio cholerae
cholera toxin (CTX) or a LTXA2B
gene encoding nontoxic A2 and B subunits of E. coli heat-labile
enterotoxin, wherein a translation product of the CTXA2B or LTXA2B gene serves as an immunogenic
adjuvant stimulating
mucosal immune responses, expressing the resulting recombinant gene in E. coli, and isolating and purifying an expressed recombinant
fusion protein. The recombinant chimeric
protein is useful as an oral vaccine with mild side effects and excellent
vaccination efficiency against uropathogenic E. coli. Thus, the chimeric vaccine
protein can remarkably reduce recurrence of urinary tract infections, prevent occurrence of antibiotic-
resistant bacteria, and replace the
conventional chemotherapy for urinary tract infections. Also, the chimeric vaccine protein has other advantages of being capable of being produced and commercialized in a short period with relatively low costs, and being easily modified by replacing its genetic constituents with other genes to provide various vaccines.