Patent ID: 8298552

Claim:
A method for identifying attenuated Mycoplasma gallisepticum clones, said method comprising: a. subjecting an initial population of Mycoplasma gallisepticum bacteria to attenuating conditions, thereby producing a putatively attenuated bacterial population; and b. assaying individual clones of said putatively attenuated bacterial population for reduced expression of a protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, relative to a wild-type Mycoplasma gallisepticum ; and c. testing clones identified in (b) as having reduced expression of said protein for virulence; wherein a Mycoplasma gallisepticum clone that exhibits reduced expression of said protein and reduced virulence relative to a wild-type Mycoplasma gallisepticum is an attenuated Mycoplasma gallisepticum clone.