Open AccessChicken Immune Response after In Ovo Immunization with Chimeric TLR5 Activating Flagellin of Campylobacter jejuni
Author(s) -
Katarzyna A. Radomska,
Mahdi M. Vaezirad,
Koen M. Verstappen,
Marc M. S. M. Wösten,
Jaap A. Wagenaar,
Jos P. M. van Putten
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0164837
Subject(s) - tlr5 , flagellin , campylobacter jejuni , in ovo , microbiology and biotechnology , immune system , campylobacter , immunization , biology , virology , immunology , innate immune system , toll like receptor , bacteria , genetics , embryo
Campylobacter jejuni is the main cause of bacterial food-borne diseases in developed countries. Chickens are the most important source of human infection. Vaccination of poultry is an attractive strategy to reduce the number of C . jejuni in the intestinal tract of chickens. We investigated the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a recombinant C . jejuni flagellin-based subunit vaccine with intrinsic adjuvant activity. Toll-like receptor activation assays demonstrated the purity and TLR5 stimulating (adjuvant) activity of the vaccine. The antigen (20–40 μg) was administered in ovo to 18 day-old chicken embryos. Serum samples and intestinal content were assessed for antigen-specific systemic and mucosal humoral immune responses. In ovo vaccination resulted in the successful generation of IgY and IgM serum antibodies against the flagellin-based subunit vaccine as determined by ELISA and Western blotting. Vaccination did not induce significant amounts of flagellin-specific secretory IgA in the chicken intestine. Challenge of chickens with C . jejuni yielded similar intestinal colonization levels for vaccinated and control animals. Our results indicate that in ovo delivery of recombinant C . jejuni flagellin subunit vaccine is a feasible approach to yield a systemic humoral immune response in chickens but that a mucosal immune response may be needed to reduce C . jejuni colonization.