In this study, a safety enhanced Salmonella Pullorum (S. Pullorum) ghost was constructed using an antimicrobial peptide gene, and evaluated for its potential as a Pullorum disease (PD) vaccine candidate. The antim...In this study, a safety enhanced Salmonella Pullorum (S. Pullorum) ghost was constructed using an antimicrobial peptide gene, and evaluated for its potential as a Pullorum disease (PD) vaccine candidate. The antimicrobial peptide SMAP29 was co-expressed with lysis gene E to generate S. Pullorum ghosts. No viable bacteria were detectable either in the fermentation culture after induction of gene E- and SMAP29-mediated lysis for 24 h or in the lyophilized ghost products. Specific-pathogen- free (SPF) chicks were intraperitoneally immunized with ghosts at day 7 of age and no mortality, clinical symptoms or signs of PD such as anorexia, depression and diarrhea were observed. On challenge with a virulent S. Pullorum strain at 4 wk post-immunization, a comparatively higher level of protection was observed in the S. Pullorum ghost immunized chickens with a minimum of pathological lesions and bacterial loads compared to the birds in inactivated vaccine groups. In addition, immunization with the S. Pullorum ghosts induced a potent systemic IgG response and was associated with significantly increased levels of cytokine IFN-y and IL-4 and relative percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. Our results indicate that SMAP29 can be employed as a new secondary lethal protein to enhance the safety of bacterial ghosts, and to prepare a non-living bacterial vaccine candidate that can prevent PD in chickens.展开更多
基金supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFD0501608)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31470893)+1 种基金the Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest,China (201403054)the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (2011AA10A210)
文摘In this study, a safety enhanced Salmonella Pullorum (S. Pullorum) ghost was constructed using an antimicrobial peptide gene, and evaluated for its potential as a Pullorum disease (PD) vaccine candidate. The antimicrobial peptide SMAP29 was co-expressed with lysis gene E to generate S. Pullorum ghosts. No viable bacteria were detectable either in the fermentation culture after induction of gene E- and SMAP29-mediated lysis for 24 h or in the lyophilized ghost products. Specific-pathogen- free (SPF) chicks were intraperitoneally immunized with ghosts at day 7 of age and no mortality, clinical symptoms or signs of PD such as anorexia, depression and diarrhea were observed. On challenge with a virulent S. Pullorum strain at 4 wk post-immunization, a comparatively higher level of protection was observed in the S. Pullorum ghost immunized chickens with a minimum of pathological lesions and bacterial loads compared to the birds in inactivated vaccine groups. In addition, immunization with the S. Pullorum ghosts induced a potent systemic IgG response and was associated with significantly increased levels of cytokine IFN-y and IL-4 and relative percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. Our results indicate that SMAP29 can be employed as a new secondary lethal protein to enhance the safety of bacterial ghosts, and to prepare a non-living bacterial vaccine candidate that can prevent PD in chickens.