Surface-exposed expression of Edwardsiella tarda EseB in live attenuated Vibrio anguillarum based on novel surface display systems

Live, attenuated Vibrio anguillarum strains can serve as vectors for the delivery of heterologous antigens for development of multivalent recombinant vaccines. Based on the outer membrane anchoring elements of V. anguillarum , we have previously constructed several efficient surface display systems Lpp-Omporf1, Lpp-OmpU, Lpp-Omp26La, Wza-Omporf1, Wza-OmpU and Wza-Omp26La. In this study, with these constructed surface display systems, a putative antigen protein EseB from pathogenic Edwardsiella tarda was successfully expressed on the surface of an attenuated V. anguillarum strain to get multivalent vaccine candidates. Further immune protection evaluation in zebra fish ( Danio rerio ) demonstrated that the V. anguillarum EseB-display strain AV/pW-26La-B could trigger full protection against V. anguillarum infection and early protection against E. tarda infection in the immunized fish. These results suggest that surface display of heterologous protective antigens in attenuated V. anguillarum could be used as a tool to develop potential V. anguillarum vector vaccine.