Characterization of a protective protein antigen of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae

Immunization with truncated recombinant protein SpaC of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae strain 715 serovar 18 confers protective immunity against challenge with various serovars

Previously, we showed that surface protective antigen (Spa) proteins of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae can be classified into three molecular species-SpaA, SpaB, and SpaC-and that SpaC is the most broadly cross-protective antigen among the three Spa proteins. In this study, we examined the ability of the α-helical domain, which comprises the N-terminal half of SpaC, to elicit cross-protective immunity in mice and pigs. Mice actively immunized with the full-length protein (rSpaC664) or the α-helical domain (rSpaC427), but not the C-terminal domain (rSpaC253), were protected against challenge with E. rhusiopathiae serovars 1a, 2, 6, 19, and 18 expressing heterologous (SpaA or SpaB) and homologous (SpaC) Spas. The α-helical domain seemed to provide better protection than rSpaC664, although the differences did not reach statistical significance. Similarly, mice passively immunized with rabbit anti-rSpaC664 or anti-rSpaC427 sera, but not anti-rSpaC253 serum, were protected from challenge with various serovars. Pigs immunized with SpaC427 also developed specific antibodies against Spa proteins and were protected from challenge with the highly virulent heterologous E. rhusiopathiae strain Fujisawa (serovar 1a). Taken together, these results demonstrate for the first time the striking protective efficacy of the α-helical domain-mediated immunization in both mice and pigs, thereby highlighting its utility as the most promising candidate for the development of a safe and effective vaccine against erysipelas.

Genetic and antigenic diversity of the surface protective antigen proteins of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae

The surface protective antigen (Spa) protein of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae has been shown to be highly immunogenic and is a potential candidate for a new vaccine against erysipelas. In this study, we cloned and sequenced spa genes from all E. rhusiopathiae serovar reference strains as well as from a serovar 18 strain which was not classified as any species in the genus Erysipelothrix. Sequence analysis revealed that the Spa proteins could be classified into three molecular species, including SpaA, which was previously found in serovars 1a and 2, and the newly designated SpaB and SpaC proteins. The SpaA protein is produced by E. rhusiopathiae serovars 1a, 1b, 2, 5, 8, 9, 12, 15, 16, 17, and N, the SpaB protein is produced by E. rhusiopathiae serovars 4, 6, 11, 19, and 21, and the SpaC protein is produced only by serovar 18. The amino acid sequence similarity was high among members of each Spa type (96 to 99%) but low between different Spa types ( approximately 60%). The greatest diversity in Spa proteins was found in the N-terminal half of the molecule (50 to 57% similarity), which was shown to be involved in immunoprotection. Coinciding with this, immunoblot analysis revealed that rabbit antisera specific to each Spa reacted strongly with the homologous Spa protein but weakly with heterologous Spa proteins. A mouse cross-protection study showed that the three recombinant Spa (rSpa) proteins elicited complete protection against challenge with homologous strains but that the level of protection against challenge with heterologous strains varied depending on the rSpa protein used for immunization. Our study is the first to demonstrate sequence and antigenic diversity in Spa proteins and to indicate that rSpaC may be the most promising antigen for use as a vaccine component because of its broad cross-protectiveness.

Evaluation of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae vaccines in pigs by intradermal challenge and immune responses

In a vaccine trial, pigs were challenged intradermally with eight E. rhusiopathiae strains of serovars 1a, 1b or 2 given concurrently. The strains were derived from six herds affected with vaccine breakdowns in 1997-1999, one herd without vaccine breakdown and a serovar 2 reference strain. Responses to two commercial bacterins (one implicated in the vaccine breakdowns), and two experimental bacterins (based on field isolates from affected herds) showed distinct differences in protection, particularly in clinical responses measured at 72 h. Less protection was afforded against serovar 1 challenge by the vaccine implicated in the vaccine breakdowns. Antibody and cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses were significantly different between treatments, and highlighted a similar post-vaccinal antibody response was produced against serovar 2 lysate by all vaccines, but only those providing significant protection against serovar 1 [corrected] produced significantly elevated antiserovar I lysate [corrected] antibodies. Vaccination in general significantly reduced CMI responses to the mitogens concanavalin A and phytohaemagglutinin. This experimental pig challenge system was readily able to confirm suboptimal performance of a commercial bacterin that had passed potency tests in mice but was associated with vaccine failure in commercial herds. This vaccine was also the most immunosuppressive to CMI responses associated with E. rhusiopathiae-specific and non-specific stimulation. The best vaccine response was associated with the highest mean serovar 1 antibody response and the highest CMI response (by lymphoproliferation assay) to serovar 2.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay employing a recombinant antigen for detection of protective antibody against swine erysipelas

The specificities and sensitivities of five recombinant proteins of the surface protective antigen (SpaA) of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae were examined by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with the aim of developing a reliable serological test for the detection of protective antibody against E. rhusiopathiae. Fully mature protein and the N-terminal 416 amino acids (SpaA416) showed sufficient antigenicities, and further examination was done with SpaA416 because of its higher yield. The antibody titers of pigs experimentally immunized with commercial live vaccine and two types of inactivated vaccines clearly increased after immunization, and all pigs were completely protected against challenge with virulent strains. On the other hand, the antibody titers of nonimmunized control pigs remained very low until they were challenged, and all showed severe symptoms or subsequently died. Interference with the production of antibody against live vaccine by maternal antibody or porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus infection 1 week after vaccination was also clearly detected. Because the ELISA titer correlated well with the protection results, the specificity and sensitivity of the ELISA were further evaluated with sera collected from pigs reared on 1 farm on which animals had acute septicemia, 2 farms on which the animals were infected or free from infection, and 10 farms on which the animals were vaccinated with live vaccine, among others. The ELISA titers clearly revealed the conditions of the herds. These results indicate that the SpaA416 ELISA is an effective method not only for evaluating pigs for the presence of protective antibody levels resulting from vaccination or maternal antibody but also for detecting antibody produced by natural infection. This test has important potential for the effective control of swine erysipelas.

Adhesive surface proteins of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae bind to polystyrene, fibronectin, and type I and IV collagens

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is a gram-positive bacterium that causes erysipelas in animals and erysipeloid in humans. We found two adhesive surface proteins of E. rhusiopathiae and determined the nucleotide sequences of the genes, which were colocalized and designated rspA and rspB. The two genes were present in all of the serovars of E. rhusiopathiae strains examined. The deduced RspA and RspB proteins contain the C-terminal anchoring motif, LPXTG, which is preceded by repeats of consensus amino acid sequences. The consensus sequences are composed of 78 to 92 amino acids and repeat 16 and 3 times in RspA and RspB, respectively. Adhesive surface proteins of other gram-positive bacteria, including Listeria monocytogenes adhesin-like protein, Streptococcus pyogenes protein F2 and F2-like protein, Streptococcus dysgalactiae FnBB, and Staphylococcus aureus Cna, share the same consensus repeats. Furthermore, the N-terminal regions of RspA and RspB showed characteristics of the collagen-binding domain that was described for Cna. RspA and RspB were expressed in Escherichia coli as histidine-tagged fusion proteins and purified. The recombinant proteins showed a high degree of capacity to bind to polystyrene and inhibited the binding of E. rhusiopathiae onto the abiotic surface in a dose dependent manner. In a solid-phase binding assay, both of the recombinant proteins bound to fibronectin, type I and IV collagens, indicating broad spectrum of their binding ability. It was suggested that both RspA and RspB were exposed on the cell surface of E. rhusiopathiae, as were the bacterial cells agglutinated by the anti-RspA immunoglobulin G (IgG) and anti-RspB IgG. RspA and RspB were present both in surface-antigen extracts and the culture supernatants of E. rhusiopathiae Fujisawa-SmR (serovar 1a) and SE-9 (serovar 2). The recombinant RspA, but not RspB, elicited protection in mice against experimental challenge. These results suggest that RspA and RspB participate in initiation of biofilm formation through their binding abilities to abiotic and biotic surfaces.

Ginseng extract in aluminium hydroxide adjuvanted vaccines improves the antibody response of pigs to porcine parvovirus and Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae

Ginseng, the dry extract prepared from the Panax ginseng C.A. Mayer-root contain immunomodulators named ginsenosides, which in the pig enhance the antibody response to viral and bacterial antigens. The enhancing effect of ginseng was demonstrated vaccinating pigs against porcine parvovirus (PPV) and Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae infections, using commercially available vaccines. The potency of the licensed, aluminium hydroxide adjuvanted; vaccines were compared with those supplemented with ginseng. The antibody response to PPV was measured by the haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test whereas the mouse potency test and ELISA evaluated the immune response to E. rhusiopathiae. Antibodies to the 64-66 kDa glycoprotein of the E. rhusiopathiae were demonstrated by immunoblotting. The qualitative antibody responses were evaluated by means of ELISA(s) using monoclonal antibodies to swine IgG1 and IgG2. The addition of 2mg ginseng per vaccine dose, potentiate the antibody response of the commercial vaccines without altering their safety. Significantly higher (P<0.001) antibody titres were achieved to both PPV and to E. rhusiopathiae by the supplementation with ginseng. Aluminium hydroxide adjuvanted vaccines favoured the production of IgG1 antibodies. Interestingly, the vaccines supplemented with ginseng favoured IgG2. The vaccines used in the evaluations varied in their immunogenic potency. However, after the addition of ginseng the less immunogenic vaccine proved to be as potent as the better one without ginseng. Thus, the use of ginseng as a co-adjuvant provides a simple, safe and cheap alternative for improving the potency of aluminium hydroxide adjuvanted vaccines.

Quality control of inactivated erysipelas vaccines: results of an international collaborative study to establish a new regulatory test

According to the specifications of the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) monograph (Swine Erysipelas Vaccine (Inactivated), Monograph no. 64, European Pharmacopoeia, 3rd edn., 1997) on erysipelas vaccines for veterinary use, batch potency is estimated in a multi-dilution assay after immunisation and infection of mice. Recently, we described a serological assay system (ELISA) which has the potential to replace this challenge-based model (Beckmann R, Cussler K. Wirksamkeitsprüfung von Rotlaufimpfstoffen an der Labormaus. ELISA kontra Infektionsversuch. ALTEX 1994;Suppl. 1:39-45; Rosskopf-Streicher U, Johannes S, Hausleithner D, Gyra H, Cussler K. Suitability of an ELISA for the batch potency test in laboratory mice. Pharmeuropa BIO 1998;1:65-70). The humoral immune response is quantified in pooled sera of ten mice three weeks after immunisation. The results are expressed as relative potency (RP) in comparison to a reference serum. After a pre-validation study had been performed with success (Rosskopf-Streicher U, Johannes S, Wilhelm M, Gyra H, Cussler K. Potency testing of swine erysipelas vaccines by serology - results of a pre-validation study. ALTEX 1999;16:123-8), we initiated an international collaborative study with five European manufacturers and seven regulatory authorities to validate the assay and model. All participants were provided with blind-coded erysipelas vaccines of different potencies, the ELISA kit and test instructions. The participants had to immunise mice, to prepare serum samples and to perform the ELISA. Inter-laboratory reproducibility was reported by the pass/fail criteria of the vaccines under test. Intra-laboratory precision was assessed by comparing repeated measurements on three consecutive days. Day-to-day variation within the laboratories was statistically analysed by comparing pairs of RPs using Lin's concordance correlation coefficient. The results show that the ELISA is indeed a suitable alternative to replace the vaccination-challenge test. Furthermore, this new model reduces the number of animals required for the potency test by approximately 80%.

Quantitative diversity of 67 kda protective antigen among serovar 2 strains of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae and its implication in protective immune response

Mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), raised against the NaOH-extracted antigen of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae strain Kyoto (serovar 2), recognized two different epitopes on a single protein of molecular weight 67 kDa. The MAbs were classified as protective or non-protective against strain Fujisawa (serovar 1). In immunoblotting analysis using the MAbs, fifteen wild strains were shown to contain different amounts of 67 kDa protective antigen. Each formalin-killed whole cell vaccine (bacterin) prepared from the fifteen wild strains conferred different levels of protection against strain Fujisawa in mice. Bacterins prepared from wild strains with larger amounts of 67 kDa protective antigen tended to give high levels of antigen-specific antibody and better protection to mice. These results indicate that the amount of 67 kDa protective antigen which influences the induction of protective immune responses may vary substantially among the strains of E. rhusiopathiae (serovar 2).

Pathogenicity of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae: virulence factors and protective immunity

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is the causative agent of erysipelas in animals and erysipeloid in humans. In the absence of specific antibodies, the organism evades phagocytosis by phagocytic cells, but even if phagocytized, it is able to replicate intracellulary in these cells. In this review, recent advances in our understanding of the pathogenicity of E. rhusiopathiae and its protective immunity are described.

Truncated surface protective antigen (SpaA) of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae serotype 1a elicits protection against challenge with serotypes 1a and 2b in pigs

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is a causal agent of swine erysipelas, which is of economic importance in the swine industry by virtue of causing acute septicemia, chronic arthritis, and endocarditis. However, little is known about the genetic properties of its protective antigens. Recently, a surface protective antigen (SpaA) gene was identified from serotype 2 in a mouse model. We cloned spaA from virulent strain Fujisawa (serotype 1a) and determined that the N-terminal 342 amino acids without C-terminal repeats of 20 amino acids have the ability to elicit protection in mice. Fusions of 342 amino acids of Fujisawa SpaA and histidine hexamer (HisSpa1.0) protected pigs against challenge with both serotype 1 and serotype 2, the most important serotypes in the swine industry. Pigs immunized with HisSpa1.0 reacted well with both HisSpa1.0 and intact SpaA by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting. Serum collected at the time of challenge from a pig immunized with HisSpa1. 0 markedly enhanced the in vitro phagocytic and killing activity of pig neutrophils against the bacteria. DNA sequences of protective regions of spaA genes from five strains of serotypes 1 and 2 were almost identical. The full DNA sequences also seemed to be conserved among strains of all 12 serotype reference strains harboring the spaA gene by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR products. These results indicates that SpaA is a common protective antigen of serotypes 1 and 2 of E. rhusiopathiae in swine and will be a useful tool for development of new types of vaccines and diagnostic tools for effective control of the disease.

Immunological characterization of a protective antigen of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae: identification of the region responsible for protective immunity

The gene encoding a protective protein antigen of the gram-positive bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, an important veterinary pathogen responsible for erysipelas in swine and a variety of diseases in animals, was cloned and sequenced. The gene encodes a polypeptide of 597 amino acids plus a putative signal sequence of 29 amino acids, resulting in a mature protein with a molecular mass of 69,017 Da. Sequence analysis of the gene product revealed a C-terminal region composed of nine tandem repeats of 20 amino acids and a total sequence that is nearly identical to that of the 64-kDa cell surface protein (SpaA) of the bacterium. Because of this similarity, the protein was designated SpaA.1. In this study, we examined whether the SpaA.1 protein could induce protective antibodies and whether we could identify the region involved in protective immunity. Both the mature SpaA.1 protein and its C-terminal repeat region, but not the N-terminal segment, were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified as a histidine-tagged fusion recombinant protein. Rabbit antiserum raised against the mature SpaA.1 protein passively protected mice from lethal challenge with a virulent homologous strain, Fujisawa-SmR, suggesting that protection is mediated by humoral antibodies. To determine which domain of the SpaA.1 protein is responsible for the observed protection, mice were actively immunized with either the mature SpaA. 1 protein or the C-terminal repeat region and then challenged with Fujisawa-SmR. The result showed that mice immunized with the mature SpaA.1 protein, but not the C-terminal repeat region, were protected, suggesting that the protection-eliciting epitope(s) is located within the N-terminal two-thirds of the SpaA.1 molecule. This was confirmed by passive immunization experiments in which the protective activity of rabbit antiserum, raised against mature SpaA. 1 protein, was not abolished by absorption with the purified recombinant C-terminal repeat region. In addition, antibodies specific for the C-terminal repeat region were unable to protect mice from lethal challenge. These results show that the N-terminal two-thirds of the SpaA.1 molecule may constitute a good vaccine candidate against erysipelas.

Use of the protective antigen of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and latex agglutination

To establish a safe and convenient serodiagnostic method for swine erysipelas, a purified protective protein antigen of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, which included a large amount of protective protein (64 kDa protein), was used for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the latex agglutination (LA) test. In the ELISA, the antisera to four different serovars (1a, 2, 5 and 20) of E. rhusiopathiae exhibit a positive reaction, while antisera to other species of bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus suis, Rhodococcus equi and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis) exhibit a negative reaction. In the LA test, the antisera to three different serovars (1a, 2 and 5) of E. rhusiopathiae reacted with P64-sensitized latex beads, while the antiserum to serovar 20 (2553 strain) did not. Moreover, the antisera to other species of bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus suis, Rhodococcus equi and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis) did not in this test. Comparing the results of the growth agglutination (GA), ELISA and LA tests of 284 swine sera, there was a high degree of correlation among the results. The detection of anti-E. rhusiopathiae antibodies in the GA, ELISA and LA tests were compared using sera from pigs immunized with P64, alkaline extract (AE) and live-cell vaccine (LV). In all three tests, anti-E. rhusiopathiae antibodies could be detected 1 week after immunization. The serum antibody titre as determined by the LA test increased moderately, as did that by the GA test, while that determined by ELISA increased rapidly. These results suggested that ELISA could be used to monitor changes in anti-E. rhusiopathiae antibody titre and the LA test could be used in the screening test for swine erysipelas.

Properties of repeat domain found in a novel protective antigen, SpaA, of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is a small gram-positive rod bacterium that causes erysipelas in swine and a variety of diseases in other animals and humans. Although live-attenuated or bacterin vaccines are effective in protecting against erysipelas, the genetic construction of their active antigen has not been identified. To clarify the surface antigen(s) involved in protective and arthritic response, using monoclonal antibody I2A against the surface proteins of E. rhusiopathiae, we identified a protective antigen, which consists of 606 amino acids. Analysis of deletion derivatives of the gene, spaA(surface protective antigen), showed that the SpaA protein binds tightly to the bacterial cell surface via eight repeat units with a GW-module consisting of 20 amino acids at the C-terminus. Although DeltaSpaA lacking their repeat units lost its ability to induce protection against E. rhusiopathiae infection, intact SpaA protein showed the protection. We conclude that the presence of repeat units is essential both for the binding of SpaA to the bacterial cell surface and for protection. We believe that the repeat region at the C-terminus should be a candidate for a subunit vaccine against erysipelas.

Protective effect of NaOH-extracted Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae vaccine in pigs

A vaccine was prepared from a NaOH-extracted antigen of the Kyoto strain (serovar 2) of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (E. rhusiopathiae) with an oil adjuvant, and was injected twice at 3-week intervals into SPF pigs and conventional pigs with maternal antibodies. After the second vaccination, IgG-GA titers of immunized SPF pigs were more than 256-fold at 3 weeks, and immunized pigs with maternal antibodies were 64-fold at 7 weeks. The pig with maternal antibodies vaccinated once with live vaccine had less than 4-fold titers. The ELISA antibody titers which were measured by using the NaOH-extracted antigen showed similar transition to the IgG-GA antibody titers. All immunized pigs and nonvaccinated control pigs were challenged with the strains Fujisawa (serovar 1a) or Saitama-1 (serovar 2). After challenge exposure, all pigs immunized with the NaOH-extracted vaccine showed no clinical signs and survived, and the pig immunized with the live vaccine had a local rhomboidal lesion at the site of the injection. Nonvaccinated pigs developed typical symptoms of E. rhusiopathiae infection and one of them died. After the autopsy, the challenge strains were not recovered from the main organs except tonsils of the pigs immunized with the NaOH-extracted vaccine. These results indicated that the NaOH-extracted vaccine induces a protective effect in pigs with maternal antibodies as well as in SPF pigs negative for such antibodies, and that 67-64, 62-60 kDa proteins in the NaOH-extracted antigen play an important role in protecting against E. rhusiopathiae infection.

Properties of a protective protein antigen of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is a widely distributed mucosal commensal of the alimentary tracts of vertebrates. Antibodies to a 66-64 kDa protein released from the cell surface have been shown to be involved in protective immunity. Mice immunized with the purified 66-64 kDa protein from strain T28, serotype 2b were protected against challenge by the United States challenge strain E1-6P (serotype 1a) and by the official German challenge strain Frankfurt 1 (serotype N). Thus, protection is not serotype specific, a result consistent with previous observations that polysaccharide, non-proteinaceous antigens are the type specific antigens useful in serotyping. The 66-64 kDa protein appears to be most immunogenic when complexed to glycolipid. This may be due to an adjuvant effect of polysaccharide antigens. Further studies on the correlation between antibody titers to the 66-64 kDa protein and protection in pigs, turkeys and mice in vivo should be helpful in developing a basis for an in vitro assay to replace the mouse protection test in vaccine testing.