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Härtle S, Sutton K, Vervelde L, Dalgaard TS. Delineation of chicken immune markers in the era of omics and multicolor flow cytometry. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1385400. [PMID: 38846783 PMCID: PMC11156169 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1385400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Multiparameter flow cytometry is a routine method in immunological studies incorporated in biomedical, veterinary, agricultural, and wildlife research and routinely used in veterinary clinical laboratories. Its use in the diagnostics of poultry diseases is still limited, but due to the continuous expansion of reagents and cost reductions, this may change in the near future. Although the structure and function of the avian immune system show commonalities with mammals, at the molecular level, there is often low homology across species. The cross-reactivity of mammalian immunological reagents is therefore low, but nevertheless, the list of reagents to study chicken immune cells is increasing. Recent improvement in multicolor antibody panels for chicken cells has resulted in more detailed analysis by flow cytometry and has allowed the discovery of novel leukocyte cell subpopulations. In this article, we present an overview of the reagents and guidance needed to perform multicolor flow cytometry using chicken samples and common pitfalls to avoid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Härtle
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Kate Sutton
- Division of Immunology, The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Lonneke Vervelde
- Division of Immunology, The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tina S. Dalgaard
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
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Chen C, Su J, Lu M, Xu L, Yan R, Li X, Song X. Protective efficacy of multiepitope vaccines constructed from common antigens of Eimeria species in chickens. Vet Res 2023; 54:119. [PMID: 38093398 PMCID: PMC10720236 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-023-01253-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical avian coccidiosis is typically caused by coinfection with several Eimeria species. Recombinant protein and DNA vaccines have shown promise in controlling coccidiosis. On this basis, DNA vaccines that encode multiple epitopes from different Eimeria species may provide broad protection against coinfections. In this study, we designed a fusion gene fragment, 14EGT, that contained concentrated T-cell epitopes from four common antigens of Eimeria species (14-3-3, elongation factor 2, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and transhydrogenase). The multiepitope DNA vaccine pVAX1-14EGT and recombinant protein vaccine pET-32a-14EGT (r14EGT) were then created based on the 14EGT fragment. Subsequently, cellular and humoral immune responses were measured in vaccinated chickens. Vaccination-challenge trials were also conducted, where the birds were vaccinated with the 14EGT preparations and later exposed to single or multiple Eimeria species to evaluate the protective efficacy of the vaccines. According to the results, vaccination with 14EGT preparations effectively increased the proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and the levels of Th1 and Th2 hallmark cytokines. The levels of serum IgG antibodies were also significantly increased. Animal vaccination trials revealed alleviated enteric lesions, weight loss, and oocyst output compared to those of the control groups. The preparations were found to be moderately effective against single Eimeria species, with the anticoccidial index (ACI) ranging from 160 to 180. However, after challenge with multiple Eimeria species, the protection provided by the 14EGT preparations was not satisfactory, with ACI values of 142.18 and 146.41. Collectively, the results suggest that a multiepitope vaccine that encodes the T-cell epitopes of common antigens derived from Eimeria parasites could be a potential and effective strategy to control avian coccidiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Chen
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Junzhi Su
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Mingmin Lu
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Lixin Xu
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Ruofeng Yan
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Xiangrui Li
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Xiaokai Song
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
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Goo D, Choi J, Ko H, Choppa VSR, Liu G, Lillehoj HS, Kim WK. Effects of Eimeria maxima infection doses on growth performance and gut health in dual-infection model of necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1269398. [PMID: 37799512 PMCID: PMC10547889 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1269398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the different doses of Eimeria maxima (EM) oocysts on growth performance and intestinal health in broiler chickens challenged with a dual infection model of necrotic enteritis (NE) using EM and NetB+ Clostridium perfringens (CP). A total of 432 fourteen-d-old male Cobb 500 broiler chickens were divided into 6 groups with 6 replicates each. The six different groups were as follows: Control, non-challenged; T0+, challenged with CP at 1 × 109 colony forming unit; T5K+, T0+ + 5,000 EM oocysts; T10K+, T0+ + 10,000 EM oocysts; T20K+; T0+ + 20,000 EM oocysts; and T40K+; T0+ + 40,000 EM oocysts. The challenge groups were orally inoculated with EM strain 41A on d 14, followed by NetB+ CP strain Del-1 on 4 days post inoculation (dpi). Increasing EM oocysts decreased d 21 body weight, body weight gain, feed intake (linear and quadratic, p < 0.001), and feed efficiency (linear, p < 0.001) from 0 to 7 dpi. Increasing EM oocysts increased jejunal NE lesion score and intestinal permeability on 5, 6, and 7 dpi (linear, p < 0.05). On 7 dpi, increasing the infection doses of EM oocysts increased jejunal CP colony counts (linear, p < 0.05) and increased fecal EM oocyst output (linear and quadratic, p < 0.001). Furthermore, increasing the infection doses of EM oocysts decreased the villus height to crypt depth ratios and the goblet cell counts (linear, p < 0.05) on 6 dpi. Increasing EM oocysts downregulated the expression of MUC2, B0AT, B0,+AT, PepT1, GLUT2, AvBD3 and 9, LEAP2, and TLR4, while upregulating CLDN1, CATHL3, IL-1β, IFN-γ, TNFSF15, TNF-α, IL-10, and Gam56 and 82 on 6 dpi (linear, p < 0.05). Additionally, increasing EM oocysts decreased Pielou's evenness and Shannon's entropy (linear, p < 0.01). In conclusion, increasing the infection doses of EM significantly aggravated the severity of NE and exerted negative impact on intestinal health from 5 to 7 dpi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doyun Goo
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Janghan Choi
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Hanseo Ko
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | | | - Guanchen Liu
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Hyun Soon Lillehoj
- Animal Bioscience and Biotechnology Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Woo Kyun Kim
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
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Bagheri S, Mitra T, Paudel S, Abdelhamid MK, Könnyü S, Wijewardana V, Kangethe RT, Cattoli G, Lyrakis M, Hess C, Hess M, Liebhart D. Aerosol vaccination of chicken pullets with irradiated avian pathogenic Escherichia coli induces a local immunostimulatory effect. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1185232. [PMID: 37261344 PMCID: PMC10227613 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1185232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study investigated the expression of cytokines and cellular changes in chickens following vaccination with irradiated avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) and/or challenge. Four groups of 11-week-old pullets, each consisting of 16 birds were kept separately in isolators before they were sham inoculated (N), challenged only (C), vaccinated (V) or vaccinated and challenged (V+C). Vaccination was performed using irradiated APEC applied via aerosol. For challenge, the homologous strain was administered intratracheally. Birds were sacrificed on 3, 7, 14 and 21 days post challenge (dpc) to examine lesions, organ to body weight ratios and bacterial colonization. Lung and spleen were sampled for investigating gene expression of cytokines mediating inflammation by RT-qPCR and changes in the phenotype of subsets of mononuclear cells by flow cytometry. After re-stimulation of immune cells by co-cultivation with the pathogen, APEC-specific IFN-γ producing cells were determined. Challenged only birds showed more severe pathological and histopathological lesions, a higher probability of bacterial re-isolation and higher organ to body weight ratios compared to vaccinated and challenged birds. In the lung, an upregulation of IL-1β and IL-6 following vaccination and/or challenge at 3 dpc was observed, whereas in the spleen IL-1β was elevated. Changes were observed in macrophages and TCR-γδ+ cells within 7 dpc in spleen and lung of challenged birds. Furthermore, an increase of CD4+ cells in spleen and a rise of Bu-1+ cells in lung were present in vaccinated and challenged birds at 3 dpc. APEC re-stimulated lung and spleen mononuclear cells from only challenged pullets showed a significant increase of IFN-γ+CD8α+ and IFN-γ+TCR-γδ+ cells. Vaccinated and challenged chickens responded with a significant increase of IFN-γ+CD8α+ T cells in the lung and IFN-γ+TCR-γδ+ cells in the spleen. Re-stimulation of lung mononuclear cells from vaccinated birds resulted in a significant increase of both IFN-γ+CD8α+ and IFN-γ+TCR-γδ+ cells. In conclusion, vaccination with irradiated APEC caused enhanced pro-inflammatory response as well as the production of APEC-specific IFN-γ-producing γδ and CD8α T cells, which underlines the immunostimulatory effect of the vaccine in the lung. Hence, our study provides insights into the underlying immune mechanisms that account for the defense against APEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Bagheri
- Clinic for Poultry and Fish Medicine, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Taniya Mitra
- Clinic for Poultry and Fish Medicine, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Surya Paudel
- Clinic for Poultry and Fish Medicine, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mohamed Kamal Abdelhamid
- Clinic for Poultry and Fish Medicine, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Simon Könnyü
- Clinic for Poultry and Fish Medicine, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Viskam Wijewardana
- Animal Production and Health Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Richard Thiga Kangethe
- Animal Production and Health Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Giovanni Cattoli
- Animal Production and Health Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria
| | - Manolis Lyrakis
- Platform for Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudia Hess
- Clinic for Poultry and Fish Medicine, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Hess
- Clinic for Poultry and Fish Medicine, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dieter Liebhart
- Clinic for Poultry and Fish Medicine, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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Lee Y, Park I, Wickramasuriya SS, Lillehoj HS. Bacillus subtilis Expressing Chicken NK-2 Peptide Enhances the Efficacy of EF-1α Vaccination in Eimeria maxima-Challenged Broiler Chickens. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13081383. [PMID: 37106946 PMCID: PMC10135262 DOI: 10.3390/ani13081383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate the synergistic effects of orally delivered B. subtilis-cNK-2 on vaccination with rEF-1α against E. maxima infection in broiler chickens. Chickens were assigned into the following five groups: control (CON, no Eimeria infection), non-immunized control (NC, PBS), component 1 (COM1, rEF-1α only), component 2 (COM2, rEF-1α plus B. subtilis empty vector), and component 3 (COM3, rEF-1α plus B. subtilis-NK-2). The first immunization was administered intramuscularly on day 4, and the second immunization was given one week later with the same concentration of components as the primary immunization. The immunization of B. subtilis spores (COM2 and COM3) was performed by oral administration given for 5 consecutive days a week later than the second immunization. On day 19, all the chickens except the CON group were orally challenged with E. maxima oocysts (1.0 × 104/chicken). The results of the in vivo vaccination showed that all the chickens immunized with rEF-1α (COM1, COM2, and COM3) produced higher (p < 0.05) serum antibodies against EF-1α on 12 days post-E. maxima infection (dpi). The COM3 group showed a significantly (p < 0.05) higher average body weight gain (BWG) on 0-6, 6-9, and 0-12 dpi compared to those of the non-immunized chickens (NC). Immunization with rEF-1α alone (COM1) reduced the gut lesion score on 6 dpi and the fecal oocyst shedding on 9 dpi, whereas co-administration with B. subtilis spores (COM2 or COM3) led to further reduction in the lesion score. E. maxima infection increased the expression levels of IFN-γ and IL-17β in the jejunum, but these expressions were downregulated in the rEF-1α immunized (COM1) group and in the groups immunized with rEF-1α and orally treated with B. subtilis spores (COM2 or COM3) at 4 dpi. A reduced gene expression of occludin in the jejunum of the E. maxima-infected chickens on 4 dpi was upregulated following the immunization with COM2. Collectively, rEF-1α vaccination induced significant protection against E. maxima infection in the broiler chickens, and the efficacy of rEF-1α vaccination was further enhanced by co-administration with orally delivered B. subtilis spores expressing cNK-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngsub Lee
- Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Inkyung Park
- Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Samiru S Wickramasuriya
- Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Hyun S Lillehoj
- Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
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Levkovich G, Almagor D, Saibaba G, Bendikov-Bar I, Rusal M, Lokshtanov D, Shinder D, Sagi D. A decline in avian cytokine expression with age revealed by commercially available cytokine array. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1171782. [PMID: 37123272 PMCID: PMC10132730 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1171782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytokines are secreted immunomodulators that are key regulators of the avian immune response. Currently, the most commonly used method to follow cytokine expression is qPCR, which measures cellular levels of mRNA, rather their extracellular circulating levels. Here we present a commercially available cytokine array designed to assay circulating expression levels of multiple cytokines and immunomodulators simultaneously. Upon minor modifications to the manufacturer protocol, background noise was reduced, leading to a significant increase in the sensitivity of the device. Our data indicate that the array is reliable and produce consistent data between biological repeats. We tested the reproducibility of the array in a biologically relevant context by assessing age-related changes in circulating cytokines. While individual features did not show a consistent pattern, our data revealed a consistent decline in the median of all cytokine values, supporting the validity of the array in studying biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Levkovich
- Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Institute of Animal Science, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Dana Almagor
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ganesan Saibaba
- Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Institute of Animal Science, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Inna Bendikov-Bar
- Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Institute of Animal Science, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Mark Rusal
- Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Institute of Animal Science, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Dmitri Lokshtanov
- Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Institute of Animal Science, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Dmitri Shinder
- Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Institute of Animal Science, Rishon LeZion, Israel
| | - Dror Sagi
- Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Institute of Animal Science, Rishon LeZion, Israel
- *Correspondence: Dror Sagi,
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