Specific antibodies reactive with the 22-kilodalton major outer surface protein of Borrelia anserina Ni-NL protect chicks from infection.
An outer surface lipoprotein of 22 kDa was identified in the avian pathogen Borrelia anserina Ni-NL by using antibody preparations reactive with bacterial surface-exposed proteins. Amino acid sequence analysis of the 22-kDa protein demonstrated 90% identity with VmpA of B. turicatae, suggesting that the protein belongs to the family of 20-kDa outer surface proteins of the genus Borrelia. All of the 60 chicks intramuscularly treated with antibodies specifically reacting with the 22-kDa protein and infected with strain Ni-NL were completely protected from infection, since no spirochetemia was detected, and from death. Control chicks were treated with immune sera raised against apathogenic strain B. anserina Es, which expresses a prominent 20-kDa polypeptide that is also a member of the Vmp family but does not cross-react immunologically with the 22-kDa protein of the Ni-NL strain. These animals, infected with B. anserina Ni-NL, showed a high degree of spirochetemia 10 days after infection, and all died between 14 and 21 days after infection. The results showed that the 22-kDa surface protein of B. anserina Ni-NL is a determinant of the pathogenic potential of the strain and also confirmed that only strain-specific antibodies are protective against B. anserina infection.
Sambri
V
V
Sezione di Microbiologia, DMCSS, University of Bologna, St. Orsola Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
Marangoni
A
A
Olmo
A
A
Storni
E
E
Montagnani
M
M
Fabbi
M
M
Cevenini
R
R
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001898:Borrelia / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D001899:Borrelia Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002645:Chickens; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D013045:Species Specificity
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers