Neisseria meningitides is still one of the three bacteria responsible for meningitis and general sepsis of great importance in the world, causing more than 300 000 cases every year, with 50 000 casualties and important attack rates which go from endemic and hyperendemic until true epidemic outbreaks like those from southern Sahara. In spite of the scientific advances of the fact that Cuba has the first and only effective and commercially available vaccine against the Men B , it is certain that the scientific battle to obtain bovine of defined molecules still persists. It is also a scientific battle for the World leadership in this field and for its commercial implications.

In this context, the research of N.m recombinant proteins constitutes a more interesting approach, even more when we deal with proteins with adhesion functions of bacteria to epithelial and endothelial cells and with the capacity to induce, if it is immunized in the appropriate way, bactericidal, opsonophagocytic and antiadhesive antibodies.

The main results and merits of this work are the following :

• 1. It is obtained for the first time, the OPC protein with high level of purity, renatured and with functional capacity to be used as immunogen or as DNA carrier or as "potentiator" for this DNA in its mucosal immunization use,
• 2. It was possible to obtain E. coli and P. pastoris in two expression and production systems, each one with its characteristics and well-known advantages,
• 3. For the first time, it is obtained a transmembranous Neisseria protein from P. pastoris and with capacity for using in the immunization,
• 4. It is original the use of this protein as immunization potentiator with DNA through nasal airway,
• 5. Articles on these topics were published in: Vaccine 1997, Biotechnol. Appl. Biochem 2001 and Vaccine 2001.