J Vet Sci.  2011 Dec;12(4):401-403. 10.4142/jvs.2011.12.4.401.

Generation of transgenic corn-derived Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae ApxIIA fused with the cholera toxin B subunit as a vaccine candidate

• Shin MK
• Jung MH
• Lee WJ
• Choi PS
• Jang YS
• Yoo HS

• KMID: 1365025
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.2011.12.4.401

Abstract

Corn, one of the most important forage crops worldwide, has proven to be a useful expression vehicle due to the availability of established transformation procedures for this well-studied plant. The exotoxin Apx, a major virulence factor, is recognized as a common antigen of Actinobacillus (A.) pleuropneumoniae, the causative agent of porcine pleuropneumonia. In this study, a cholera toxin B (CTB)-ApxIIA#5 fusion protein and full-size ApxIIA expressed in corn seed, as a subunit vaccine candidate, were observed to induce Apx-specific immune responses in mice. These results suggest that transgenic corn-derived ApxIIA and CTB-ApxIIA#5 proteins are potential vaccine candidates against A. pleuropneumoniae infection.

Keyword

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae; ApxIIA; cholera toxin B subunit protein; transgenic plant

MeSH Terms

Actinobacillus Infections/microbiology/*prevention & control
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
Animals
Antigens, Bacterial/immunology
Bacterial Proteins/*immunology
Bacterial Vaccines/*immunology
Cholera Toxin/*chemistry
Female
Hemolysin Proteins/*immunology
Immunization, Secondary
Mice
Mice, Inbred ICR
Plants, Genetically Modified
Zea mays/*genetics

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 ApxII-specific IgG (A) and IgA (B) levels 2 weeks after final boosting (**p < 0.01). CTB: cholera toxin B.

• 

  Fig. 2 ApxII-specific memory B cells producing IgG (A) and IgA (B) in mice immunized with corn-derived ApxIIA (█: untreated control, ▒: ApxIIA, □: lipopolysaccharides; *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01).

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  Fig. 3 Secretion of interferon-γ (A) and nitric oxide (B) from murine splenocytes stimulated with ApxIIA and ConA, or the untreated control (█: administration of cholera toxin B-ApxIIA#5, □: administration of full ApxIIA; *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01).

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