title: Virulence determinants of Salmonella Gallinarum biovar Pullorum identified by PCR signature-tagged mutagenesis and the spiC mutant as a candidate live attenuated vaccine.
abstract: Salmonella Gallinarum biovar Pullorum (S. Gallinarum biovar Pullorum) is the causative agent of pullorum disease (PD) in chickens which results in considerable economic losses to the poultry industries in developing countries. PCR-Signature Tagged Mutagenesis was used to identify virulence determinants of S. Gallinarum biovar Pullorum and novel attenuated live vaccine candidates for use against this disease. A library of 1800 signature-tagged S. Gallinarum biovar Pullorum mutants was constructed and screened for virulence-associated genes in chickens. The attenuation of 10 mutants was confirmed by in vivo and in vitro competitive index (CI) studies. The transposons were found to be located in SPI-1 (2/10 mutants), SPI-2 (3/10), the virulence plasmid (1/10) and non-SPI genes (4/10). One highly attenuated spiC mutant persisted in spleen and liver for less than 10 days and induced high levels of circulating antibody and protective immunity against oral challenge in young broiler chickens. The spiC mutant is a potential new vaccine candidate for use with chickens against this disease.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Ministry of Education Key Lab for Avian Preventive Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Shizhong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Ministry of Education Key Lab for Avian Preventive Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: jiao@yzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xinan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, Leicestershire, Nottingham LE12 5RD, UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barrow
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Ministry of Education Key Lab for Avian Preventive Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Zhiming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Ministry of Education Key Lab for Avian Preventive Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D002645:Chickens / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D016296:Mutagenesis; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012475:Salmonella / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022562:Salmonella Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000276:immunology; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D022562:Salmonella Vaccines; C120280:SpiC protein, Salmonella; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated
keywords: PCR signature-tagged mutagenesis; Salmonella Gallinarum biovar Pullorum; Vaccine; Virulence determinants; spiC mutant