Different approaches to expressing Edwardsiella tarda antigen GAPDH in attenuated Vibrio anguillarum for multivalent fish vaccines

With the development of gene technology, expressing heterologous antigens in attenuated bacteria has become an important strategy to design multivalent vaccines. In our previous work, an attenuated Vibrio anguillarum named MVAV6203 was developed and proven to be an efficient live vaccine candidate. In this research, we aimed to express protective antigen glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) of Edwardsiella tarda in attenuated Vibrio anguillarum to establish a multivalent V. anguillarum vector vaccine. Several strategies were compared between low‐ vs. high‐copy plasmid‐mediated antigen expression, in vivo‐inducible vs. constitutive antigen expression and intracellular vs. surface‐displaying antigen expression. Zebrafish, Danio rerio (Hamilton), was applied as the fish model to evaluate the immune protection of the V. anguillarum vector vaccine candidates. Our results demonstrated that V. anguillarum MVAV6203 (pUTatLNG40), which harbours a low‐copy plasmid‐loaded antigen surface display system under the control of a constitutive promoter, presented the best protective efficacy against the infection of Vibrio anguillarum (relative per cent survival, RPS = 85%) and Edwardsiella tarda (RPS = 70%).     

Secretory expression of recombinant proteins in an attenuated Vibrio anguillarum strain for potential use in vaccines

Vibrio anguillarum is an important bacterial fish pathogen responsible for epizootics in both marine and freshwater fish worldwide. Studies on pathogenic V. anguillarum has shown that its virulence is mediated by a 65 kb endogenous pJM1-like plasmid, which encodes an efficient iron uptake system. The plasmid-free derivative of wild V. anguillarum was found to be greatly attenuated and elicited a good protection against wild V. anguillarum in fish. In this study, a plasmid-free derivative MVAV6201, an effective live vaccine candidate, was used as a carrier strain to achieve the secretory delivery of recombinant proteins in V. anguillarum. The secretion mechanism was based on the Escherichia coli alpha-haemolysin (HlyA) transport system. The recombinant proteins were fused with the alpha-haemolysin secretion signal (HlyAs) and expressed from the commonly used HlyA secretion vector pMOhly1. Two HlyAs-tagged recombinant proteins, GFP-HlyAs and AngE-HlyAs, were constructed and their secretion characters in V. anguillarum investigated. In the case of GFP-HlyAs, nearly 70% of the total fusion protein was efficiently secreted into culture supernatant, and in the case of AngE-HlyAs, the secretion efficiency was determined to be about 300 microg L(-1) by Western blotting.     

发病鲆鲽类分离菌株的16S rRNA基因测序分析

细菌性疾病是中国海水养殖鲆鲽类的主要病害,为全面了解病原菌种类,本研究对1999~2012年从山东、江苏、河北、天津等沿海地区养殖场发病鲆鲽鱼类中分离得到的124株优势菌株进行了16S rRNA基因测序和系统发育学分析。将基因序列与GenBank核酸序列数据库进行相似度比对分析,结果显示,有83株与弧菌属(Vibriosp.)细菌相似度最高,11株与气单胞菌属(Aeromonas sp.)细菌相似度最高,4株与爱德华氏菌属(Edwardsiella sp.)细菌相似度最高,26株为其他15种属的细菌。根据系统发育学分析结果,进一步将66株菌鉴定为16个种,优势种为溶藻弧菌(V.alginolyticus)、哈氏弧菌(V.harveyi)、鳗弧菌(V.anguillarum)、杀鲑气单胞菌(A.salmonicida)和迟缓爱德华氏菌(E.tarda)。选择其中的9株鳗弧菌和4株迟缓爱德华氏菌进行人工感染实验,结果显示,其中7株鳗弧菌和3株迟缓爱德华氏菌对大菱鲆(Scophthalmus maximus)有较强的致病性。研究结果可为阐明中国海水养殖鲆鲽类的流行病发生历史、病原种类、病原监测及疾病控制提供重要参考。     

Modification of the hyperosmotic infiltration method of vaccination against vibriosis in cultured ayu, Plecoglossus altivelis Temminck and Schlegel

Abstract. A vaccine solution of a formalin-killed culture of Vibrio anguillarum cells was observed to be toxic to young ayu when administered by the hyperosmotic infiltration method. The toxin was present in the culture broth. After the toxin was removed from the broth by centrifugation, the fish were dipped in 5.32% NaCl solution for 2 min and then in a solution containing precipitated cells for 3 min. The immunized fish were protected against vibriosis when challenged one month after immersion. The bacterin was administered to ayu by a further two methods, both using lyophilized whole cells of formalin-killed V. anguillarum. In one method, the fish were placed in a 5.32% NaCl solution for 2 min and then in a solution containing lyophilized cells at 2 g/l of well water for 3 min (two-step immersion). In the other method, the fish were placed in a 5.32% NaCl solution containing lyophilized cells also at 2 g/l for 3 min (one-step immersion). A high level of protection against artificial challenge was achieved with either method. No agglutinating antibodies to V. anguillarum were detected in either the serum or mucus of fish dipped in a vaccine solution, a supernatant, or a precipitated solution, one month after immersion. On the other hand, serum titres were detected in fish vaccinated by injection, although no titres were detected in mucus. LD₅₀ values are presented for the virulence of the V. anguillarum strain. Compared to the original strain, virulence increased after the third passage in ayu, but decreased after the thirteenth passage in medium.     

Evidence for lack of antigenic competition among various combinations of Vibrio anguillarum, Yersinia ruckeri, Aeromonas salmonicida and Renibacterium salmoninarum bacterins when administered to salmonid fishes

Abstract. Bacterins of Vibrio anguillarum, Yersinia ruckeri, Aeromonas Salmonicida , and Renibacterum salmoninarum were administered alone and in combination to salmonid fishes and the level of protective immunity compared. With each pathogen, the protection obtained with monovalent with A. salmonicida bacterin alone conferred some protection against challenges with Type II V. anguillarum and Y. ruckeri. Also, the combination of A. salmonicida and R. salmoninarum bacterins appeared to potentiate the protection conferred against A. salmonicida. The potential of multivalent vaccines for protecting fish from several diseases appears to be real.     

Bath-immunization—a practical and non-stressing method of vaccinating sea farmed rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri Richardson against vibriosis

Abstract. A non-stressing easily applicable vaccination method against vibriosis in rainbow trout is described. The vaccine consisted of trypsin digested Vibrio anguillarum cells and was administered through a 2 h bath treatment, giving adequate protection in challenge experiments with the same V. anguillarum strain.     

Vaccination experiments and studies of the humoral immune responses in cod, Gadus morhua L., to four strains of monoclonal-defined Vibrio anguillarum

Abstract. Vibrio anguillarum isolated from diseased cod, Gadus morhua L., were serotyped by use of a panel of monoclonal antibodies. Four serotypes could be distinguished, having different lipopolysaccharide determinants. These phenotypic differences were also reflected in the genetic map, as revealed by fingerprinting of bacterial DNA. Antisera were raised in cod after immunization with the V. anguillarum serotypes, and Western blot techniques demonstrated production of specific antibodies mainly to LPS-antigens. The immune system in cod discriminates to a eertain degree between the four serotypes as shown by crossreactions of the immune sera in elisa . Moreover, it was also shown that natural antibodies to bacterial antigens are present in non-immune sera, but these specificities are non-LPS in nature. As a consequence of the heterogeneity of the V. anguillarum strains, vaccination experiments were performed under laboratory conditions to compare the effectiveness of bacterins based on either single vaccines or polyvaccines. The results from these experiments were promising since challenge with one strain demonstrated 100% protection both in fish vaccinated with the homologous serotype as well as a mixture of all the four serotypes.     

Antibody specificities in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., against the fish pathogens Vibrio salmonicida and Vibrio anguillarum

Abstract. Specificities of polyclonal salmon antisera made against the fish pathogens Vibrio salmonicida and Vibrio anguillarum were studied. Using ELISA and Western blot techniques, antisera made against V. salmonicida or V. anguillarum serovar 1 demonstrated high responses against the homologous bacterium or its isolated LPS. In contrast, antisera obtained after immunization with V. anguillarum serovar 2 displayed low antibody titres against homologous antigens. Elcctrophoretic transfer of SDS-PAGE separated V. salmonicida LPS antigen to nitrocellulose strips and subsequent immunostaining with salmon antisera revealed a strong reaction exclusively in the low molecular weight region (<14kD). On the other hand, immunoblots of V. anguillarum LPS preparations using salmon immunesera raised against this species showed a heterogenous staining pattern ranging from high to medium LPS-size. In addition, most of the salmon antisera made against V. anguillarum serovar 2 also reacted with a low molecular weight LPS antigen band.     

Enhancement of resistance to bacterial infection in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), by oral administration of bovine lactoferrin

Abstract Bovine lactoferrin was evaluated for its ability to enhance resistance of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), to infection with Vibrio anguillarum. Oral administration of lactoferrin (100 mg kg⁻¹) to fish daily for 3 days prior to an intraperitoneal challenge with V. anguillarum resulted in increased survival rates, and enhanced resistance against Streptococcus sp., although to a lesser extent. In lactoferrin-treated fish, an increase in phagocytic and chemiluminescent (CL) activities of pronephros cells against V. anguillarum was observed. The phagocytic and CL activities of cells against Streptococcus sp. were also significantly increased. However, no in vitro bactericidal activities of lactoferrin against V. anguillarum or Streptococcus sp. were observed. This suggests that the lactoferrin enhanced the resistance of the rainbow trout against bacterial infection through the activation of phagocytes.     

Survival and humoral antibody response of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., vaccinated against Aeromonas salmonicida ssp. achromogenes

Atlantic salmon were vaccinated against Aeromonas salmonicida ssp. achromogenes (Asa) by injection with three vaccines developed in our laboratory and an autogenous bacterin (IcelandBiojec.OO, IBOO) produced by a commercial vaccine producer. The humoral antibody responses to bacterial antigens were monitored by ELISA and Western blotting. The fish were challenged by infection with Asa 6 and 12 weeks post-vaccination. Protection was induced in all groups of vaccinated fish. The protection achieved was time-dependent. The autogenous bacterin, IBOO, induced a protective immune response later than our experimental vaccines. All the vaccines tested induced specific antibody response that increased between 6 and 12 weeks after vaccination. The antibody response was mainly directed against the A-layer protein, but antibodies to other bacterial components were also detected. Significant correlation was obtained between the antibody titre to extracellular Asa antigens, induced by the different vaccine preparations, and survival of vaccinated fish challenged by a virulent Asa strain. Furthermore, the detection of antibodies directed against an extracellular toxic metallo-caseinase, AsaP1, in fish sera correlated with protection.     

副溶血弧菌融合蛋白FlaA-OmpK疫苗的制备及免疫保护作用

采用延伸PCR技术拼接副溶血弧菌(Vibrio parahaemolyticus VpATCC17802)的外膜蛋白K基因ompK和鞭毛蛋白A基因flaA,获得融合基因flaA-ompK。制备高纯度的r-OmpK,r-FlaA及r-FlaA-OmpK蛋白。分别以所制备的OmpK、FlaA-OmpK和混合蛋白OmpK+FlaA作为免疫原,通过口服及注射的方法免疫黑石斑鱼(Centropristisstriata),研究其免疫原性及对野生副溶血弧菌(Vp89)感染的免疫保护作用。ELISA分析结果表明,注射FlaA-OmpK组抗体效价最高,是OmpK组的2倍,是混合蛋白组的4倍,注射FlaA-Ompk提供的免疫保护率达到80%。本工作制备了FlaA-Ompk肠溶口服微球疫苗,口服免疫组血清抗体效价低于注射组血清抗体效价,口服FlaA-Ompk提供的免疫保护率达到50%。研究结果显示融合蛋白FlaA-Ompk具有良好的免疫原性,可作为多元弧菌疫苗抗原成份。     

中华鳖爱德华菌病病原菌的分离鉴定及致病因子研究

采用API 20E系列生化鉴定及16S rDNA和gyrB基因序列同源性分析方法,对从患病中华鳖(Trionyx sinen-sis)肝脏中分离到的一株细菌TL5m进行了鉴定,并通过人工感染试验,对该菌株进行了毒力检测;此外分别提取该TL5m株的主要致病因子外膜蛋白、脂多糖和胞外产物,对中华鳖进行毒力和免疫保护率试验。结果显示:菌株TL5m的API 20E鉴定编码为4544000,99.9%为迟钝爱德华氏菌(Edwardsiella tarda);其16SrDNA序列和gyrB基因序列(GenBank登录号分别:EF121756和GU563803)与迟钝爱德华氏菌的同源性最高(分别为94%和98%);菌株TL5m对中华鳖的半数致死量LD50为2.45×106 CFU/ind。药敏感结果显示菌株对磷霉素、菌必治、头孢孟多、头孢噻吩、壮观霉素高度敏感。外膜蛋白攻毒剂量60μg/ind和脂多糖攻毒剂量400μg/ind时,对中华鳖的致死率都为33.3%,胞外产物对中华鳖的LD50为31.73μg/ind;全菌灭活苗、胞外产物、外膜蛋白和脂多糖的免疫保护率分别为75%、62.5%、25%和87.5%。结果表明,发病中华鳖的病原菌为迟钝爱德华氏菌,其分泌的胞外产物对中华鳖具有较高毒力;提取的脂多糖对中华鳖遭受迟钝爱德华氏菌攻击具有较高免疫保护率。     

Serotyping of Vibrio anguillarum isolated from diseased freshwater fish in Japan

Abstract. During the period from 1965 to 1980, 263 Vibrio anguillarum strains from ayu, Plecoglossiis altivelis (Temminck & Schlegel), two from rainbow trout. Salmo gairdneri Richardson, and two from eel, Anguilla japonica (Temminck & Schlegel), were collected from fish suffering from vibriosis in various parts of Japan. On the basis of cross-agglutination and cross-absorption tests with thermostable (O) antigens, six distinct serotypes (A, B, C, D, E and F) were established among 12 selected strains of V. anguillarum . 241 strains isolated from ayu and two strains from rainbow trout belonged to serotype A, six strains from ayu and one strain from eel to serotype B, 12 strains from ayu to serotype C, three strains from ayu to serotype D, one strain from ayu to serotype E, and one strain from eel to serotype F. V. anguillarum strains belonging to serotypes D, E and F have not been detected from ayu, rainbow trout and eel since 1973; these serotypes appear to be minor types. V. anguillarum strain NCMB 6 and 1669 belong to our serotype A and V. anguillarum 813 to our serotype C.     

Ultrasonic immunization of sea bream, Pagrus major (Temminck & Schlegel), with a mixed vaccine against Vibrio alginolyticus and V. anguillarum

In order to clarify the effectiveness of ultrasonication on vaccine delivery, juvenile sea bream, Pagrus major , were treated with eight different ultrasonic methods. A mixed vaccine against Vibrio alginolyticus and V. anguillarum was used to immunize the fish . The intensity and frequency of the ultrasound were 280 mW cm^–2 and 35 kHz, respectively. The ultrasonic methods included continuous or pulsed ultrasound for 3 min, and continuous or pulsed ultrasound for 3 min before and/or after immersion for 3 min. Of all the eight ultrasonic methods tested, `pulsed ultrasound followed by immersion' and `immersion, pulsed ultrasound, and followed by immersion again' provided the best protection, which were comparable with protection of fish immunized by intraperitoneal injection. Moreover, the convenience of applying these two ultrasonic methods for immunization was comparable with the immersion method and was much better than intraperitoneal injection. If 2 × 10⁸ CFU mL^–1 of this mixed vaccine was used for vaccination repeatedly five times by ultrasonic methods, it could still produce good protection for the immunized sea bream. Therefore, the ultrasonic method is an effective and practical approach for fish vaccination on a large scale.     

The development of live vaccines for furunculosis lacking the A-layer and O-antigen of Aeromonas salmonicida

Abstract. Mutants of Aeromonas salmonicida strains lacking either the A-protein, O-antigen or both of these major surface antigens were tested in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), for their suitability as live vaccines (LV). All of these mutants were shown to be attenuated, as fish receiving ∼5 × 10⁷ of the respective strains showed no clinical signs of furunculosis. Immersion vaccination of fish in 5 × 10⁷ cfu ml^-1 of these strains with an identical immersion dose 14 days later resulted in significant protection by all strains from challenge with a heterologous virulent strain of A. salmonicida 5 weeks later. The levels of protection conferred were all greater than or equal to that provided by an injected bacterin using the same vaccination schedule. With one exception, all LV strains that still possessed a functional O-antigen provided protective indices (PI) four- to seven-fold greater than the PI for the fish injected with bacterin. When antibody responses of vaccinated fish were compared, it was found that only vaccination by bacterin gave rise to a measurable agglutinating litre. Western immunoblots using the immune fish sera failed to reveal any major differences in antigen recognition in fish that received any of the vaccines tested. These data suggest that the immune response generated by the use of live vaccine strains is different from that generated by a bacterin, and that these useful mutations may be incorporated into existing furunculosis LVs for further attenuation.     

Assessment of cross‐protection to heterologous strains of Flavobacterium psychrophilum following vaccination with a live‐attenuated coldwater disease immersion vaccine

Bacterial coldwater disease, caused by Flavobacterium psychrophilum, remains one of the most significant bacterial diseases of salmonids worldwide. A previously developed and reported live‐attenuated immersion vaccine (F. psychrophilum; B.17‐ILM) has been shown to confer significant protection to salmonids. To further characterize this vaccine, a series of experiments were carried out to determine the cross‐protective efficacy of this B.17‐ILM vaccine against 9 F. psychrophilum isolates (representing seven sequence types/three clonal complexes as determined by multilocus sequence typing) in comparison with a wild‐type virulent strain, CSF‐259‐93. To assess protection, 28‐day experimental challenges of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fry were conducted following immersion vaccinations with the B.17‐ILM vaccine. F. psychrophilum strains used in challenge trials were isolated from several fish species across the globe; however, all were found to be virulent in rainbow trout. The B.17‐ILM vaccine provided significant protection against all strains, with relative percent survival values ranging from 51% to 72%. All vaccinated fish developed an adaptive immune response (as measured by F. psychrophilum‐specific antibodies) that increased out to the time of challenge (8 weeks postimmunization). Previous studies have confirmed that antibody plays an important role in protection against F. psychrophilum challenge; therefore, specific antibodies to the B.17‐ILM vaccine strain appear to contribute to the cross‐protection observed to heterologous strain. The ability of such antibodies to bind to similar antigenic regions for all strains was confirmed by western blot analyses. Results presented here support the practical application of this live‐attenuated vaccine, and suggest that it will be efficacious even in aquaculture operations affected by diverse strains of F. psychrophilum.     

Positive correlation between Aeromonas salmonicida vaccine antigen concentration and protection in vaccinated rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss evaluated by a tail fin infection model

Rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), are able to raise a protective immune response against Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida (AS) following injection vaccination with commercial vaccines containing formalin‐killed bacteria, but the protection is often suboptimal under Danish mariculture conditions. We elucidated whether protection can be improved by increasing the concentration of antigen (formalin‐killed bacteria) in the vaccine. Rainbow trout juveniles were vaccinated by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection with a bacterin of Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida strain 090710‐1/23 in combination with Vibrio anguillarum serotypes O1 and O2a supplemented with an oil adjuvant. Three concentrations of AS antigens were applied. Fish were subsequently challenged with the homologous bacterial strain administered by perforation of the tail fin epidermis and 60‐s contact with live A. salmonicida bacteria. The infection method proved to be efficient and could differentiate efficacies of different vaccines. It was shown that protection and antibody production in exposed fish were positively correlated to the AS antigen concentration in the vaccine.     

Growth inhibition of the salmon pathogen Vibrio ordalii by a siderophore produced by Vibrio anguillarum strain VL4355

Abstract. Thirty strains of V. anguillarum were tested for the production of inhibitory substances against closely-related bacteria using the deferred antagonism test. Only one strain, Vibrio anguillarum VL4355, inhibited strains of V. ordalii and this effect was blocked by the addition of iron salts to the culture medium. Siderophore production was investigated for this strain. Results from bioassays suggested that strain VL4355 produced a siderophore related to anguibactin, the plasmid-encoded phenolate siderophore produced by V. anguillarum strain 775. However, when plasmid DNA was compared for strains 775 and VL4355 the Bam HI-generated restriction profiles were different, although hybridization experiments indicated some homology. Using the chrome-azurol sulphate assay to measure siderophore production, strain VL4355 yielded significantly higher values than other V. anguillarum strains. Amberlite XAD-2 was used to produce concentrated siderophore preparations from strains VL4355 and 775. Both preparations were inhibitory to the growth of strains of V. ordalii , but not V. anguillarum , as were solutions of the iron chelator ethylenediamine-di(o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid). The difference in sensitivity to iron-limiting conditions for V. ordalii and V. anguillarum , coupled with the inability of V. ordalii to utilize ferric-anguibactin, could reflect different mechanisms of iron uptake for these two organisms.     

Experimental infection of turbot, Scophthalmus maximus (L.), by Moritella viscosa, vaccination effort and vaccine-induced side-effects

Moritella viscosa is the causative agent of winter ulcers in farmed salmonids and Atlantic cod in countries around the North Atlantic. The bacterium has also been isolated from various marine fish species. Bacterial diseases have been a limiting factor in farming of turbot, but M. viscosa has not so far been isolated. In this study, turbot was shown to be sensitive to M. viscosa infection in experimental challenges. Pathological changes in infected turbot were comparable with those previously described for winter ulcers in salmon. A multivalent commercial salmon vaccine, containing M. viscosa as one of five antigens and a mineral oil adjuvant, did not protect turbot against challenge 13 weeks post-vaccination. Weight gain of vaccinated turbot compared with controls was not reduced 7 weeks post-vaccination. Vaccination did not induce a specific anti-M. viscosa response, while elevated anti-M. viscosa antibody levels were detected both in vaccinated and unvaccinated fish 5 weeks post-challenge. The vaccine did, however, induce an antibody response against Aeromonas salmonicida, another vaccine component. Minor intra-abdominal adhesions were detected in vaccinated fish and fish injected with a mineral oil adjuvant. The measurement of various innate humoral immune parameters did not reveal significant differences between vaccinated and control groups.     

利用响应面法优化鳗弧菌载体疫苗MVAV6203A-1冷冻干燥保护剂配方

应用单因素试验、复合保护剂组合试验和响应面分析法,对鳗弧菌载体疫苗MVAV6203A-1冷冻干燥的保护剂配方进行筛选和优化。试验结果表明,众多保护剂中半乳糖、海藻糖和脱脂牛奶的组合使用,能够显著提高细胞对冷冻干燥环境的耐受力。以冻干后的细胞存活率为响应值,响应面法优化的结果为:半乳糖4.6%、海藻糖2.3%、脱脂牛奶10.2%,以优化的最佳配方进行的3次重复冻干试验,细胞平均存活率可达77.3%。优化的保护剂配方适用于鳗弧菌载体疫苗的冻干生产。