Open AccessGenetic Fusions of Heat-Labile Toxoid (LT) and Heat-Stable Toxin b (STb) of Porcine Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Elicit Protective Anti-LT and Anti-STb Antibodies
Author(s) -
Weiping Zhang,
David Francis
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
clinical and vaccine immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.649
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1556-6811
pISSN - 1556-679X
DOI - 10.1128/cvi.00095-10
Subject(s) - enterotoxigenic escherichia coli , immunogenicity , diarrhea , toxoid , microbiology and biotechnology , enterotoxin , toxin , antigen , virology , antibody , biology , escherichia coli , immunization , medicine , immunology , biochemistry , gene
EnterotoxigenicEscherichia coli (ETEC)-associated diarrhea causes a substantial economic loss to swine producers worldwide. The majority of ETEC strains causing porcine diarrhea, especially postweaning diarrhea (PWD), produce heat-labile toxin (LT) and heat-stable toxin b (STb). LT is commonly used in vaccine development, but STb has not been included because of its poor immunogenicity. As a virulence factor in porcine diarrhea, STb needs to be included as an antigen for development of broad-spectrum vaccines. In this study, we used an LT toxoid (LTR192G [hereafter, LT192 ]) derived from porcine ETEC to carry a mature STb peptide for LT192 -STb fusions to enhance STb immunogenicity for potential vaccine application. Anti-LT and anti-STb antibodies were detected in immunized rabbits and pigs. In addition, when challenged with an STb-positive ETEC strain, all 10 suckling piglets borne by immunized gilts remained healthy, whereas 7 out 9 piglets borne by unimmunized gilts developed moderate diarrhea. This study indicates that the LT192 -STb fusion enhanced anti-STb immunogenicity and suggests the LT192 -STb fusion antigen can be used in future vaccine development against porcine ETEC diarrhea.