Protection, immune response and side-effects in European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus L.) vaccinated against vibriosis and furunculosis

As indicated by market demand and cultivation prospects, the whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus L.) has the potential to become an important alternative to rainbow trout in fish farming in Finland. The fish processing industry has called for a fish species having non-pigmented flesh, and there is a long tradition of whitefish farming for stocking purposes in Finland. However, cultivation in net cages in the brackish water of the coastal area exposes fish to vibriosis (Listonella (Vibrio) anguillarum) and furunculosis (Aeromonas salmonicida salmonicida). Hence, profitable whitefish farming requires the efficient control of both of these diseases. The efficacy of vaccination (Apoject 1800®) was studied in the laboratory using challenge tests and by monitoring specific antibody production (ELISA) and the blood leucocyte pattern. The fish (22 g) were vaccinated at 15°C and the immunity developed during 8 weeks prior to challenge with vibriosis (1.8×10⁵ cfu) and 12 weeks prior to challenge with furunculosis (4.9×10² cfu). The challenge was performed by i.p. injection. Side-effects around the injection site were studied 16 weeks post-vaccination. The immune system of the whitefish responded well and vaccination gave good protection against vibriosis and furunculosis. The RPS was 100% following the Vibrio challenge and 99% following the Aeromonas challenge. The antibody levels continued increasing in the vaccinated group throughout the study period. Lymphocyte and neutrophil counts were elevated in vaccinated compared to non-vaccinated fish at 8 weeks post-vaccination, but not after 16 weeks. Vaccination produced weak adhesions around the injection site in 42% and minor pigmentation in 9% of the 65 fish examined.     

抗幽门螺旋杆菌卵黄抗体的制备及其体外抑菌试验

试验以幽门螺旋杆菌(helicobacter pylori，HP)全菌灭活抗原对150日龄伊沙褐壳母鸡进行首免，165日龄二免，180日龄三免，于首免后即开始收集鸡蛋，利用凝集实验测定卵黄中的抗体效价。结果表明：每间隔15天，采取两次加强免疫方法，可有效地引起免疫应答。母鸡在初免45d后，抗体效价可达到1：1024，同批样品在此水平可维持达60d以上(效价大于1：128)，然后抗体效价呈缓慢下降趋势，经130d后，抗体效价下降至1：8。体外抑菌实验表明，高免卵黄具有明显的抑制HP生长的活性。     

大肠杆菌免疫刺激DNA的克隆及其对抗体产生的影响

利用聚合酶链式反应（Polymerase Chain Reaction,PCR）从大肠杆菌基因组中扩增免疫刺激基因，并把扩增的基因片段克隆和pGEM－T载体。PstI酶切结果表明重组质粒（rP）均含有扩增的基因片段；rP1与rP2是相同的重组质粒。利用酶联免疫吸附检测了重组质粒对小鼠产生抗体的影响，结果显示：重组质粒1与牛血清白蛋白（BSA），免疫小鼠能产生较同的抗体水平，而重组质粒3则对小鼠产生的BSA抗体水平没有影响。对重组质粒1的序列分析,克隆的基因片段中富含CpG序列，并含有数个具有强烈免疫刺激作用的RRCGYY（如：AACGTT）序列。本研究为基因免疫机理的深入研究和基因免疫佐剂的开发奠定了基础。     

应用PPA－ELISA检测4头剂量三联苗增强猪瘟免疫效果

１９９０—１９９３年用４头剂量三联苗免疫２０—６０日龄仔猪３２４１７头，１９９３年应用ＰＰＡ－ＥＬＩＳＡ检测超剂量免疫后３０—６０天的猪血清８８份，结果血清中抗体能有效保护的占８１．９％，达不到保护的占１８．１％。     

Effects of immunization of Pelibuey lambs with Oestrus ovis digestive tract protein extracts on larval establishment and development

Larval midgut proteins of hematophagous parasites contain strong antigens that can be used for host immunization. This concept has been applied for immunization of Pelibuey sheep against Oestrus ovis L. (Diptera: Oestridae). The aim of this study was to examine the effect of immunization on larval establishment (LE) and development. Immunized lambs (I, n = 6) received two injections of crude gut membrane protein extracts (GMPE) from third instar larvae with Freund's incomplete adjuvant (FIA) on days 0 (Day of first immunization) and 21 (0.4 and 0.45 mg GMPE/lamb, respectively). The control group (C, n = 5) received physiological saline with FIA. Lambs were challenged with first instars on Day 29 (20 larvae) and Day 43 (25 larvae). Blood samples were collected biweekly and IgG titers were analyzed by ELISA. All lambs were slaughtered on Day 90 and number of larvae recovered, larval stage and larval weight were recorded at necropsy. No significant effect of immunization on LE (C = 28.9%; I = 31.0% P > 0.05) was observed. Antibody titers were higher in the immunized group on Day 28 (P < 0.05), but subsequently similar in both groups. Larval physiological age and weight were also significantly (P < 0.05) affected by immunization. Immunization of Pelibuey lambs with GMPE did not affect LE but did delay O. ovis larval development.     

Interferon-gamma expression and infectivity of Toxoplasma infected tissues in experimentally infected sheep in comparison with pigs

Livestock animals are a potential risk for transmission of toxoplasmosis to humans. Sheep and pigs still remain an important source because their meat is often eaten undercooked which has been regarded as a major route of infection in many countries. Moreover, porcine tissues are processed in many food products.In the current study, the IFN-gamma (T-helper 1 cells), IL-4 (Th2 cells) and IL-10 mRNA (Treg cells) expression by blood mononuclear cells, and the serum antibody response against Toxoplasma gondii total lysate antigen, recombinant T. gondii GRA1, rGRA7, rMIC3 and rEC2, a chimeric antigen composed of MIC2, MIC3 and SAG1, was studied in sheep the first two months after a T. gondii infection and compared with these responses in pigs. At the end of this period, the parasite distribution in heart, brain and two skeletal muscles in sheep was compared with this in pigs.Whereas the parasite distribution was similar in sheep and pigs, the antibody response differed considerably. In sheep, antibodies appeared against all tested T. gondii antigens, but mainly against rGRA7, rMIC3₂₃₄₃₀₇ and TLA whereas in pigs only rGRA7-specific antibodies could be demonstrated. Also, the cytokine response differed. Both in sheep and pigs an IFN-gamma response occurred which seemed to be a slightly more pronounced in sheep. In sheep, also IL-10 and IL-4 mRNA expression showed an increase, but later than IFN-gamma and with more variation. However, in pigs no such increase was seen.As concerning diagnosis, results indicate that serum antibodies against GRA7 in live sheep and pigs and heart tissue for bioassay and qPCR in slaughtered animals are the best targets to demonstrate presence of T. gondii infection.     

脂肪细胞膜免疫技术的研究进展

综述了脂肪细胞膜免疫的种类及其降低动物胴体脂肪的作用机理和效果,阐述了目前存在的问题,并展望了脂肪细胞膜免疫技术的应用前景。     

特异性抗体对新城疫疫苗免疫原性的影响研究

对特异性抗体对新城疫活疫苗和灭活疫苗免疫原性的影响进行了研究。鸡源抗体与Ⅰ系苗制备的复合物(ND-IC)对有、无抗体的1,28日龄雏鸡安全,能诱导产生良好的免疫应答,免疫14d后获得完全的攻毒保护;18日龄鸡胚免疫接种后不影响孵化率和8日龄内雏鸡的死亡率,14日龄小鸡血清抗体滴度在5log2(HI)左右及获得80％～100％的攻毒保护率。特异性抗体与灭活病毒混合后制备的油佐剂苗免疫1,28日龄鸡,血清抗体水平高于传统油佐剂苗,且免疫原性不受母源抗体的影响。以上结果表明,鸡源特异性抗体能提高Ⅰ系苗的安全性,而不影响免疫原性;对灭活抗原具有免疫增强作用。     

The conserved surface M-protein SiMA of Streptococcus iniae is not effective as a cross-protective vaccine against differing capsular serotypes in farmed fish

Streptococcus iniae causes invasive infections in fresh and saltwater fish and occasional zoonoses. Vaccination against S. iniae is complicated by serotypic variation determined by capsular polysaccharide. A potential target for serologically cross-protective vaccines is the M-like protein SiMA, an essential virulence factor in S. iniae that is highly conserved amongst virulent strains. The present study determined how SiMA is regulated and investigated potential as a cross-protective vaccine for fish. Electrophoretic mobility shift suggested that SiMA is regulated by the multigene regulator Mgx via a binding site in the −35 region of the simA promoter. Moreover, expression of simA and mgx was highly correlated, with the highest level of simA and mgx expression during exponential growth under iron limitation (20-fold increase in relative expression compared to growth in Todd-Hewitt broth). Based on these results, a vaccination and challenge experiment was conducted in barramundi (Lates calcarifer) to determine whether SiMA is protective against S. iniae infection and cross-protective against a different capsular serotype. The challenge resulted in 60% mortality in control fish. Formalin-killed bacterins prepared from the challenge strain resulted in 100% protection, whereas bacterins prepared from a serotypically heterologous strain resulted in significantly reduced protection, even when culture conditions were manipulated to optimise SiMA expression. Moreover, recombinant SiMA protein was not protective against the challenge strain in spite of eliciting specific antibody response in vaccinated fish. Specific antibody did not increase oxidative activity or phagocytosis by barramundi macrophages. Indeed incubating S. iniae with antisera significantly reduced phagocytosis. Lack of specific-antibody mediated opsonisation in spite of 100% protection against challenge with the homologous vaccine suggests that other immune parameters result in protection of challenged fish.     

Performances and application of antisera produced by recombinant capsid proteins of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cymbidium mosaic virus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Odontoglossum ringspot virus</Emphasis>

Antisera against important orchid viruses, Cymbidium mosaic virus (CymMV) and Odontoglossum ringspot virus (ORSV), were separately produced using bacterially expressed recombinant capsid proteins (CP), instead of purified virus particles, as immunogens. These antisera were then designated as home-made CymMV CP antiserum (HM-Cy) and home-made ORSV CP antiserum (HM-OR). The high specificity of HM-Cy and HM-OR were confirmed by immunoblot. Their detection limits were determined using indirect-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (I-ELISA). Both HM-Cy and HM-OR showed low background reactivity to healthy plants and thus displayed a high S/H ratio (sample OD405/healthy control OD405) in tested orchids. The data indicated that our antisera were efficient and accurate in determination of negative and positive results in ELISA test as commercial antibodies. Therefore, these home-made antisera of CymMV and ORSV are suitable for the certification programme of orchids due to their low cost and high specificity. HM-Cy and HM-OR were further used for a field survey to study the incidence of CymMV and ORSV. The results showed that CymMV is more prevalent than ORSV in Taiwan.