EspA-Intimin chimeric protein, a candidate vaccine against Escherichia coli O157:H7.
OBJECTIVE
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is an important enteric pathogen in human causing bloody or nonbloody diarrhea, which may be complicated by hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Cattle are an important reservoir of EHEC. This research aims at vaccination with a divalent chimer protein composed of EspA120 and Intimin 282 and its preventive effect of EHEC O157 colonization in mice rectal epithelium.


METHODS
A divalent recombinant EspA-Intimin (EI) protein containing EspA120 and Intimin280 attached with a linker was amplified from a trivalent construct and cloned in pET-28a (+) vector. The immunization was conducted in mice after expression and purification of the recombinant EI (rEI).


RESULTS
Mice subcutaneously immunized with rEI, elicited significant rEI specific serum IgG antibodies and showed significantly decreased E.coli O157:H7 shedding compared to the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
The chimeric recombinant protein induced strong humoral response as well as protection against oral challenges with live E.coli O157:H7.
Applied Microbiology Research Center, Baqiyatallah Medical Science University, Tehran.
Hamid Sedighian
HS
Rad
Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
Seyed Latif
SL
Mousavi
Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
Iraj
I
Rasooli
Applied Microbiology Research Center, Baqiyatallah Medical Science University, Tehran.
Jafar
J
Amani
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
Moohamad Reza Jalali
MR
Nadooshan
Chimeric vaccine; Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli; EspA; Intimin