title: Protection of red snapper (Lutjanus sanguineus) against Vibrio alginolyticus with a DNA vaccine containing flagellin flaA gene.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main aims of this study were to construct a DNA vaccine containing flagellin flaA gene from Vibrio alginolyticus strain HY9901 and to explore the potential application of pcDNA-flaA as a DNA vaccine candidate for red snapper (Lutjanus sanguineus).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasmid DNA encoding flagellin flaA gene (designated as pcDNA-flaA) was used as a DNA vaccine to immunize red snapper. The distribution, expression and immunoprotection of the DNA vaccine were analysed in tissues of the red snapper by PCR, RT-PCR and challenge test. PCR results indicated that pcDNA-flaA distributed in liver, spleen, kidney, gill and injection site muscle at 7-28 days after vaccination. RT-PCR results indicated that the flaA gene was expressed in all above tissues of vaccinated fish at 7-28 days after vaccination. In addition, fish receiving the DNA vaccine developed a protective response to live V. alginolyticus challenge 28 days post inoculation, the relative per cent survival (RPS) was 88%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that injection of pcDNA-flaA induced an efficient, systemic and antigen-specific immune response in red snapper, which makes it an effective vaccine candidate against V. alginolyticus infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The finding that red snapper does adequately respond to pcDNA-flaA intramuscular injection makes pcDNA-flaA a promising candidate for DNA vaccine treatment. Furthermore, the availability of red snapper for foreign gene expression represents a useful model to develop effective prophylactic strategies and opens new perspectives for the treatment of bacterial pathogens of marine cultured fish.
authors.affiliation: College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, China.
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Z-H
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: J-C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Jian
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005408:Flagellin / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D010473:Perciformes / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014735:Vibrio Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D044149:Vibrio alginolyticus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D005408:Flagellin; C067138:flaA protein, bacteria