title: Type IV fimbrial subunit protein ApfA contributes to protection against porcine pleuropneumonia.
abstract: Porcine pleuropneumonia caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae accounts for serious economic losses in the pig farming industry worldwide. We examined here the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the recombinant type IV fimbrial subunit protein ApfA as a single antigen vaccine against pleuropneumonia, or as a component of a multi-antigen preparation comprising five other recombinant antigens derived from key virulence factors of A. pleuropneumoniae (ApxIA, ApxIIA, ApxIIIA, ApxIVA and TbpB). Immunization of pigs with recombinant ApfA alone induced high levels of specific serum antibodies and provided partial protection against challenge with the heterologous A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 9 strain. This protection was higher than that engendered by vaccination with rApxIVA or rTbpB alone and similar to that observed after immunization with the tri-antigen combination of rApxIA, rApxIIA and rApxIIIA. In addition, rApfA improved the vaccination potential of the penta-antigen mixture of rApxIA, rApxIIA, rApxIIIA, rApxIVA and rTbpB proteins, where the hexa-antigen vaccine containing rApfA conferred a high level of protection on pigs against the disease. Moreover, when rApfA was used for vaccination alone or in combination with other antigens, such immunization reduced the number of pigs colonized with the challenge strain. These results indicate that ApfA could be a valuable component of an efficient subunit vaccine for the prevention of porcine pleuropneumonia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v,v,i,, Videnska 1083, CZ-142 20 Prague, Czech Republic. osicka@biomed.cas.cz.
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sadilkova
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nepereny
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vrzal
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sebo
authors.forename: Radim
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Osicka
mesh_terms: D000189:Actinobacillus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D016977:Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011001:Pleuropneumonia / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014611:Vaccination / Q000662:veterinary; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D005098:Exotoxins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors