Update on Campylobacter jejuni vaccine development for preventing human campylobacteriosis

Progress toward the Development of Glycan-Based Vaccines against Campylobacteriosis

As one of the main causes of bacterial diarrhea and a major risk factor for triggering Guillain-Barré autoimmune syndrome, campylobacteriosis, that is, Campylobacter spp. infections, represents a major health issue worldwide. There is thus a pressing need for developing an effective and broad-coverage campylobacteriosis vaccine. Campylobacter jejuni, an encapsulated, multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacterium, expresses virulence-associated capsular polysaccharides (CPSs), which constitute exquisite targets for the design of glycoconjugate vaccines. In that context, synthetic carbohydrate chemistry acts as a crucial enabling technology for the preparation of homogeneous constructs while allowing antigenic epitopes to be deciphered and probed at the molecular level. This review aims at covering recent developments in CPS-based campylobacteriosis vaccines as well as in the total syntheses of C. jejuni-related mono- and oligosaccharide mimics.

Immunization of Chickens with the Enterobactin Conjugate Vaccine Reduced Campylobacter jejuni Colonization in the Intestine

Campylobacter jejuni is the leading bacterial cause of human enteritis in developed countries. Chicken is the major animal reservoir of C. jejuni and a powerful infection model for human campylobacteriosis. No commercial vaccine against C. jejuni is available to date. The high affinity iron acquisition mediated through enterobactin (Ent), a small siderophore, plays a critical role in the colonization of C. jejuni in the intestine. Recently, an innovative Ent conjugate vaccine has been demonstrated to induce high-level of Ent-specific antibodies in rabbits; the Ent-specific antibodies displayed potent binding ability to Ent and inhibited Ent-dependent growth of C. jejuni. In this study, using specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens, we performed three trials to evaluate the immunogenicity of the Ent conjugate vaccine and its efficacy to control C. jejuni colonization in the intestine. The purified Ent was conjugated to the carrier keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). Intramuscular immunization of chickens with the Ent-KLH conjugate for up to three times did not affect the body weight gain, the development of major immune organs and the gut microbiota. In the first two trials, immunizations of chickens with different regimens (two or three times of vaccination) consistently induced strong Ent-specific immune response when compared to control group. Consistent with the high-level of systemic anti-Ent IgG, C. jejuni colonization was significantly reduced by 3-4 log₁₀ units in the cecum in two independent vaccination trials. The third trial demonstrated that single Ent-KLH vaccination is sufficient to elicit high level of systemic Ent-specific antibodies, which could persist for up to eight weeks in chickens. Taken together, the Ent-KLH conjugate vaccine could induce high-level of Ent-specific antibodies in chickens and confer host protection against C. jejuni colonization, which provides a novel strategy for Campylobacter control in poultry and humans.

Oral Immunization of Chickens with Lactococcus lactis Expressing cjaA Temporarily Reduces Campylobacter jejuni Colonization

Campylobacter jejuni is the leading cause of human foodborne enteritis worldwide. Poultry products are regarded as the main source of human campylobacteriosis. Strategies are being developed to reduce colonization of poultry by Campylobacter. The membrane transport protein CjaA was reported to stimulate mucosal immune responses, which can reduce the C. jejuni load in chickens. In this study, oral immunization of broilers with food-grade Lactococcus lactis NZ3900/pNZ8149 carrying the C. jejuni cjaA gene was examined for the ability to reduce colonization of broilers by Campylobacter. The Usp45 signal peptide and the Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit (LTB) gene fragments were inserted into the upstream and downstream of the cjaA gene for secretory expression and immune enhancement, respectively. The cjaA gene and the fusion cjaA-ltb gene were both expressed in recombinant L. lactis, and the single cjaA gene was secretory expressed in the recombinant strain. Oral administration of two recombinant L. lactis strains expressing the cjaA gene and the fusion cjaA-ltb gene both stimulated specific anti-CjaA serum IgY responses significantly. While the average intestinal sIgA responses in these groups were higher compared with the control groups, they were not significantly different. Chicken challenge experiments showed that the colonization levels of C. jejuni in the groups provided oral immunization with two recombinant L. lactis-delivered CjaA strains were significantly lower than that of the control group at 5 d postinoculation, but there was no significant difference in C. jejuni colonization among all groups at 9 d. These results indicated that recombinant L. lactis with secretory expression of CjaA is a promising live vector vaccine against C. jejuni colonization of chickens. The immunization regimen requires further optimization to ideally stimulate detectable levels of intestinal sIgA to enhance the level of inhibition of C. jejuni colonization.

Evaluation of in ovo vaccination of DNA vaccines for Campylobacter control in broiler chickens

Campylobacter is the leading bacterial cause of human enteritis in developed countries. Chicken is a major natural host of Campylobacter. Thus, on-farm control of Campylobacter load in poultry would reduce the risk of human exposure to this pathogen. Vaccination is an attractive intervention measure to mitigate Campylobacter in poultry. Our previous studies have demonstrated that Campylobacter outer membrane proteins CmeC (a component of multidrug efflux pump) and CfrA (ferric enterobactin receptor) are feasible and promising candidates for vaccine development. In this study, by targeting these two attractive vaccine candidates, we explored and evaluated a new vaccination strategy, which combines the in ovo vaccination route and novel DNA vaccine formulation, for Campylobacter control in broilers. We observed that direct cloning of cfrA or cmeC gene into the eukaryotic expression vector pCAGGS did not lead to sufficient level of production of the target proteins in the eukaryotic HEK-293 cell line. However, introduction of the Kozak consensus sequence (ACCATGG) in the cloned bacterial genes greatly enhanced production of inserted gene in eukaryotic cells, creating desired DNA vaccines. Subsequently, the validated DNA vaccines were prepared and used for two independent in ovo vaccination trials to evaluate their immune response and protective efficacy. However, single in ovo injection of specific DNA vaccine at 18th day of embryonation, regardless using neutral lipid-protected vector or not, failed to trigger significant IgG and IgA immune responses and did not confer protection against C. jejuni colonization in the intestine of chickens. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the Kozak sequence is critically important for construction of the DNA vaccine expressing prokaryotic gene. The optimal regimen for in ovo vaccination of DNA vaccine for Campylobacter control in poultry needs to be determined in future studies.

Protease Activity of Campylobacter jejuni HtrA Modulates Distinct Intestinal and Systemic Immune Responses in Infected Secondary Abiotic IL-10 Deficient Mice

Even though human Campylobacter jejuni infections are progressively increasing worldwide, the underlying molecular mechanisms of pathogen-host-interactions are still not fully understood. We have recently shown that the secreted serine protease HtrA plays a key role in C. jejuni cellular invasion and transepithelial migration in vitro, and is involved in the onset of intestinal pathology in murine infection models in vivo. In the present study, we investigated whether the protease activity of HtrA had an impact in C. jejuni induced acute enterocolitis. For this purpose, we perorally infected secondary abiotic IL-10^-/- mice with wildtype C. jejuni strain NCTC11168 (11168^WT) or isogenic bacteria carrying protease-inactive HtrA with a single point mutation at S197A in the active center (11168^HtrA-S197A). Irrespective of the applied pathogenic strain, mice harbored similar C. jejuni loads in their feces and exhibited comparably severe macroscopic signs of acute enterocolitis at day 6 postinfection (p.i.). Interestingly, the 11168^HtrA-S197A infected mice displayed less pronounced colonic apoptosis and immune cell responses, but enhanced epithelial proliferation as compared to the 11168^WT strain infected controls. Furthermore, less distinct microscopic sequelae in 11168^HtrA-S197A as compared to parental strain infected mice were accompanied by less distinct colonic secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as MCP-1, IL-6, TNF, and IFN-γ in the former as compared to the latter. Strikingly, the S197A point mutation was additionally associated with less pronounced systemic pro-inflammatory immune responses as assessed in serum samples. In conclusion, HtrA is a remarkable novel virulence determinant of C. jejuni, whose protease activity is not required for intestinal colonization and establishment of disease, but aggravates campylobacteriosis by triggering apoptosis and pro-inflammatory immune responses.

Development and Evaluation of Two Live Salmonella-Vectored Vaccines for Campylobacter Control in Broiler Chickens

Campylobacter is the leading bacterial cause of human enteritis in developed countries. Human campylobacteriosis is commonly associated with the consumption of undercooked, contaminated chicken, a natural host of Campylobacter. Thus, the control of Campylobacter colonization in poultry at the farm level would reduce the risk of human exposure to this pathogen. Vaccination is an attractive intervention measure to mitigate Campylobacter in poultry. Our recent studies have demonstrated that the outer-membrane proteins CmeC (an essential component of CmeABC multidrug efflux pump) and CfrA (ferric enterobactin receptor) are feasible candidates for immune intervention against Campylobacter. By targeting these two promising vaccine candidates, live attenuated Salmonella-vectored vaccines were developed and evaluated in this study. Briefly, the cfrA and cmeC genes were cloned into expression vector pYA3493 and transferred into Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium χ8914, the USDA licensed live attenuated vaccine strain. The oral live Salmonella vaccines producing CfrA or CmeC (truncated or full length) were successfully constructed by using delicate molecular manipulation despite the challenge due to the potential toxic effect of the cloned gene product in the Escherichia coli host. Expression and membrane localization of the target protein in the vaccines were confirmed by immunoblotting. The efficacies of the two live vaccines that produce full-length CfrA or CmeC were evaluated by using broiler chickens. However, oral vaccination of chickens failed to trigger significant systemic and intestinal mucosal immune responses and, consequently, did not confer protection against Campylobacter jejuni colonization chickens. The vaccination regimens of the constructed live Salmonella-vectored vaccine need to be optimized in future studies.

Total Synthesis of the Trisaccharide Antigen of the Campylobacter jejuni RM1221 Capsular Polysaccharide via de Novo Synthesis of the 6-Deoxy-d- manno-heptose Building Blocks

A de novo approach utilizing the d-proline-catalyzed and LDA-promoted aldol reactions as key steps for the preparation of differentiated-protected 6-deoxy-d- manno-heptose building blocks was developed. PPh₃AuBAr₄^F-catalyzed glycosylation with the 6-deoxy-d- manno-heptosyl o-hexynylbenzoate as donor was demonstrated as a direct and practical method for the stereoselective synthesis of the β-linked 6-deoxy-d- manno-heptoside as the major product. Coupling of the 6-deoxy-α-d- manno-heptosyl H-phosphonate with the 3-hydroxyl disaccharide acceptor based on H-phosphonate chemistry was described for the construction of the trisaccharide skeleton with the acid-labile phosphodiester linkage. Finally, first total synthesis of the unique trisaccharide antigen of the capsular polysaccharide of Campylobacter jejuni RM1221 that belongs to HS:53 serotype complex was accomplished for further evaluation as vaccine candidate against C. jejuni RM1221 infection.

Cell Wall Anchoring of the Campylobacter Antigens to Lactococcus lactis

Campylobacter jejuni is the most frequent cause of human food-borne gastroenteritis and chicken meat is the main source of infection. Recent studies showed that broiler chicken immunization against Campylobacter should be the most efficient way to lower the number of human infections by this pathogen. Induction of the mucosal immune system after oral antigen administration should provide protective immunity to chickens. In this work we tested the usefulness of Lactococcus lactis, the most extensively studied lactic acid bacterium, as a delivery vector for Campylobacter antigens. First we constructed hybrid protein - CjaA antigen presenting CjaD peptide epitopes on its surface. We showed that specific rabbit anti-rCjaAD serum reacted strongly with both CjaA and CjaD produced by a wild type C. jejuni strain. Next, rCjaAD and CjaA were fused to the C-terminus of the L. lactis YndF containing the LPTXG motif. The genes expressing these proteins were transcribed under control of the L. lactis Usp45 promoter and their products contain the Usp45 signal sequences. This strategy ensures a cell surface location of both analyzed proteins, which was confirmed by immunofluorescence assay. In order to evaluate the impact of antigen location on vaccine prototype efficacy, a L. lactis strain producing cytoplasm-located rCjaAD was also generated. Animal experiments showed a decrease of Campylobacter cecal load in vaccinated birds as compared with the control group and showed that the L. lactis harboring the surface-exposed rCjaAD antigen afforded greater protection than the L. lactis producing cytoplasm-located rCjaAD. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to employ Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) strains as a mucosal delivery vehicle for chicken immunization. Although the observed reduction of chicken colonization by Campylobacter resulting from vaccination was rather moderate, the experiments showed that LAB strains can be considered as an alternative vector to deliver heterologous antigens to the bird immune system. Additionally, the analysis of the structure and immunogenicity of the generated rCjaAD hybrid protein showed that the CjaA antigen can be considered as a starting point to construct multiepitope anti-Campylobacter vaccines.

The role of probiotics in the inhibition of Campylobacter jejuni colonization and virulence attenuation

Campylobacter jejuni is one of the most common bacterial causes of human gastroenterocolitis worldwide, leading to diarrhea and other serious post-infectious complications. Probiotics form an attractive alternative intervention strategy for most of the enteric infections. However, the role of probiotics in C. jejuni infections requires detailed investigations in order to delineate the probiotic strains that are effective against C. jejuni. Although there are several biological mechanisms involved in the inhibition of pathogenic bacterial growth, the strains of probiotics and their mechanisms of actions through which they combat C. jejuni invasion have not been studied in greater detail. This mini review details the factors that are involved in the colonization and establishment of C. jejuni infection, with special reference to chickens, the natural host of C. jejuni, and the studies that have investigated the effect of different probiotic strains against C. jejuni colonization and growth. This review has collated the studies conducted using probiotics to inhibit C. jejuni colonization and growth to date to provide a collective knowledge about the role of probiotics as an alternative intervention strategy for campylobacteriosis.

Lactic Acid Bacteria as a Surface Display Platform for Antigens

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Food poisoning and diarrheal diseases continue to pose serious health care and socioeconomic problems worldwide. <i>Campylobacter</i> spp. is a very widespread cause of gastroenteritis. Over the past decade there has been increasing interest in the use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as mucosal delivery vehicles. They represent an attractive opportunity for vaccination in addition to vaccination with attenuated bacterial pathogens. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We examined the binding ability of hybrid proteins to nontreated or trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-pretreated LAB cells by immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis. <b><i>Results:</i></b> In this study we evaluated the possibility of using GEM (Gram-positive enhancer matrix) particles of <i>Lactobacillus salivarius</i> as a binding platform for 2 conserved, immunodominant, extracytoplasmic <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i> proteins: CjaA and CjaD. We analyzed the binding ability of recombinant proteins that contain <i>C. jejuni</i> antigens (CjaA or CjaD) fused with the protein anchor (PA) of the <i>L. lactis </i>peptidoglycan hydrolase AcmA, which comprises 3 LysM motifs and determines noncovalent binding to the cell wall peptidoglycan. Both fused proteins, i.e. 6HisxCjaAx3LysM and 6HisxCjaDx3LysM, were able to bind to nontreated or TCA-pretreated <i>L. salivarius</i> cells. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our results documented that the LysM-mediated binding system allows us to construct GEM particles that present 2 <i>C. jejuni</i> antigens.

Evaluation of the immunogenicity of Campylobacter jejuni CjaA protein delivered by Salmonella enterica sv. Typhimurium strain with regulated delayed attenuation in chickens

Campylobacter spp. are regarded as the most common bacterial cause of gastroenteritis worldwide, and consumption of chicken meat contaminated by Campylobacter is considered to be one of the most frequent sources of human infection in developed countries. Here we evaluated the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of Salmonella Typhimurium χ9718 producing the Campylobacter jejuni CjaA protein as a chicken anti-Campylobacter vaccine. In this study chickens were orally immunized with a new generation S. Typhimurium strain χ9718 with regulated delayed attenuation in vivo and displaying delayed antigen expression. The immunization with the S. Typhimurium χ9718 strain producing C. jejuni CjaA antigen induced strong immune responses against CjaA in both serum IgY and intestinal IgA, however, it did not result in the significant reduction of intestinal colonization by Campylobacter strain. The low level of protection might arise due to a lack of T cell response. Our results demonstrated that a Salmonella strain with regulated delayed attenuation and displaying regulated delayed antigen expression might be an efficient vector to induce immune response against Campylobacter. It seems that an efficient anti-Campylobacter subunit vaccine should be multicomponent. Since S. Typhimurium χ9718 contains two compatible balanced-lethal plasmids, it can provide the opportunity of cloning several Campylobacter genes encoding immunodominant proteins. It may also be used as a delivery vector of eukaryotic genes encoding immunostimulatory molecules to enhance or modulate functioning of chicken immune system.

Salmonella vaccines in poultry: past, present and future

Salmonella species are important zoonotic pathogens that cause gastrointestinal disease in humans and animals. Poultry products contaminated with these pathogens are one of the major sources of human Salmonella infections. Vaccination of chickens, along with other intervention measures, is an important strategy that is currently being used to reduce the levels of Salmonella in poultry flocks, which will ultimately lead to lower rates of human Salmonella infections. However, despite numerous studies that have been performed, there is still a need for safer, well-defined Salmonella vaccines. This review examines the different classes of Salmonella vaccines that have been tested, highlighting the merits and problems of each, and provides an insight into the future of Salmonella vaccines and the platforms that can be used for delivery.

Oral immunization with cholera toxin provides protection against Campylobacter jejuni in an adult mouse intestinal colonization model

Immunity to Campylobacter jejuni, a major diarrheal pathogen, is largely Penner serotype specific. For broad protection, a vaccine should be based on a common antigen(s) present in all strains. In our previous study (M. J. Albert, S. Haridas, D. Steer, G. S. Dhaunsi, A. I. Smith, and B. Adler, Infect. Immun. 75:3070–3073, 2007), we demonstrated that antibody to cholera toxin (CT) cross-reacted with the major outer membrane proteins (MOMPs) of all Campylobacter jejuni strains tested. In the current study, we investigated whether immunization with CT protects against intestinal colonization by C. jejuni in an adult mouse model and whether the nontoxic subunit of CT (CT-B) is the portion mediating cross-reaction. Mice were orally immunized with CT and later challenged with C. jejuni strains (48, 75, and 111) of different serotypes. Control animals were immunized with phosphate-buffered saline. Fecal shedding of challenge organisms was studied daily for 9 days. Serum and fecal antibody responses were studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting. The cross-reactivity of rabbit CT-B antibody to MOMP was studied by immunoblotting. The reactivity of 21 overlapping 30-mer oligopeptides (based on MOMP’s sequence) against rabbit CT antibody was tested by ELISA. Test animals produced antibodies to CT and MMP in serum and feces and showed resistance to colonization, the vaccine efficacies being 49% (for strain 48), 37% (for strain 75), and 34% (for strain 111) (P, ≤0.05 to ≤0.001). One peptide corresponding to a variable region of MOMP showed significant reactivity. CT-B antibody cross-reacted with MOMP. Since CT-B is a component of oral cholera vaccines, it might be possible to control C. jejuni diarrhea with these vaccines.

Campylobacter jejuni is a major cause of diarrhea worldwide. Patients who recover from C. jejuni diarrhea develop immunity to the infecting serotype and remain susceptible to infection with other serotypes. A vaccine based on a common protective antigen(s) present in all C. jejuni serotypes is expected to provide broad protection. In our previous study, we showed that antibody to cholera toxin (CT) reacted with the major outer membrane proteins (MOMPs) from different strains of C. jejuni. We assumed that the B subunit of the toxin (CT-B), which is nontoxic and a component of licensed oral cholera vaccines, might be the component that cross-reacts with MOMP. In the current study, we showed that orally immunizing mice with CT protected them against colonization upon challenge with different serotypes of C. jejuni. We also showed that CT-B is the component mediating cross-reaction. Therefore, it might be possible to use cholera vaccines to prevent C. jejuni diarrhea. This could result in significant savings in vaccine development and treatment of the disease.

In vivo modulation of Campylobacter jejuni virulence in response to environmental stress

Campylobacters have developed a number of mechanisms for responding to environmental conditions, although the different virulence properties of these cells following exposure to stress are still poorly understood. We analyzed in vitro stress responses and the consequent in vivo modulation of Campylobacter jejuni pathogenicity in BALB/c mice, as a result of the exposure of the C. jejuni to environmental stress (starvation, oxidative stress, heat shock). In vitro, the influence of starvation and oxidative stress was milder than that of heat shock, although the majority of the stress conditions influenced the survival of C. jejuni. During starvation, C. jejuni viability was maintained longer than its culturability. Additionally, starvation elicited transformation of stressed bacteria to coccoid forms. In contrast, bacteria exposed to oxygen remained culturable, but their viability decreased. Pre-starvation did not contribute to improved survival of C. jejuni cells during oxygen exposure. Changes in bacteria numbers and the levels of several cytokines (interleukins 6 and 10, tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ) were followed in vivo, in liver homogenates from the mice intravenously infected with either control (untreated) or stressed C. jejuni. The systemic infection with the control or stressed C. jejuni occurred with different production dynamics of the cytokines investigated. Starvation was the most powerful stress factor, which significantly decreased infectious potential of C. jejuni during the first 3 days postinfection. The most pronounced differences in cytokine production were found in interferon-γ and interleukin-10 production, which indicates that these have roles in the immune response to C. jejuni infection. These in vivo studies of environmental impact on bacterial virulence reveal that microbial adaptation during stress challenge is crucial not just for pathogen survival out of the host, but also during host-pathogen interactions, and thus for the bacterial pathogenicity.

Evaluation of Salmonella-vectored Campylobacter peptide epitopes for reduction of Campylobacter jejuni in broiler chickens

Campylobacter is a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in humans and is often linked to contaminated poultry products. Live Salmonella vectors expressing three linear peptide epitopes from Campylobacter proteins Cj0113 (Omp18/CjaD), Cj0982c (CjaA), and Cj0420 (ACE393) were administered to chicks by oral gavage on the day of hatch, and the chicks were challenged with Campylobacter jejuni on day 21. All three candidate vaccines produced consistent humoral immune responses with high levels of serum IgG and mucosal secretory IgA (sIgA), with the best response from the Cj0113 peptide-expressing vector. Campylobacter challenge following vaccination of three candidate vaccine groups decreased Campylobacter recovery from the ileum compared to that for controls on day 32. The Cj0113 peptide-expressing vector reduced Campylobacter to below detectable levels. The Salmonella-vectored Cj0113 subunit vaccine appears to be an excellent candidate for further evaluation as a tool for the reduction of Campylobacter in poultry for improved food safety.

Recombinant PorA, the major outer membrane protein of Campylobacter jejuni, provides heterologous protection in an adult mouse intestinal colonization model

Immunity against Campylobacter jejuni, a major food-borne pathogen causing diarrhea, is largely serotype specific. The major outer membrane protein (MOMP) of C. jejuni, PorA, is a common antigen with the potential to provide broad protection. Adult BALB/c mice were orally immunized with a recombinant glutathione S-transferase (GST) fused to PorA prepared from Campylobacter jejuni C31 (O:6,7) (GST-PorA) combined with a modified heat-labile enterotoxin of Escherichia coli as an adjuvant and later orally challenged with C31 strain or three heterologous strains: 48 (O:19), 75 (O:3), and 111 (O:1,44). Protection from colonization with the challenge organism was studied by fecal screening daily for 9 days. Serum and intestinal lavage fluid antibodies against the vaccine and Sarkosyl-purified MOMP from C31 were measured by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The vaccine produced robust antibody responses against both antigens in serum and secretion. Since strain C31 was a poor colonizer, homologous protection could not be studied. The protective efficacies of heterologous strains were 43% (for strain 48, P < 0.001), 29% (for strain 75, P < 0.005), and 42% (for strain 111, P < 0.001) for the 9-day period compared to control mice given phosphate-buffered saline. Thus, PorA provided appreciable protection against colonization with heterologous serotypes.

Bacterial infections: new and emerging enteric pathogens

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The aim of this review is to highlight recent advances in knowledge of bacterial enteric infections. We focus on understanding of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter jejuni infections, and to link these acute events with long-term consequences in a susceptible host, including irritable bowel syndrome and chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.

RECENT FINDINGS

Enterohemorrhagic E. coli and C. jejuni are zoonotic infections that are acquired from exposure to tainted food (undercooked hamburger and chicken, respectively) and contaminated drinking water. Noninvasive E. coli O157:H7 elaborates Shiga-like toxins and protein effectors that are injected, via a molecular syringe that is encoded by a bacterial type 3 secretion system, into infected eukaryotic cells. Less is known about the precise virulence properties of enteroinvasive Campylobacter strains, but both enteric pathogens are able to disrupt polarized epithelial monolayers resulting in increased uptake of macromolecules and antigens.

SUMMARY

An improved understanding of the epidemiology, pathobiology and mechanisms underlying infectious enterocolitides will provide the basis for developing new intervention strategies including, for example, the use of probiotics, to interrupt the infectious process.

Development and Evaluation of CmeC Subunit Vaccine against Campylobacter jejuni

Campylobacter jejuni is the leading bacterial cause of human enteritis in many industrialized countries. There is no commercial vaccine against C. jejuni available to date. CmeC is an essential outer membrane component of CmeABC multidrug efflux pump that plays a critical role in antibiotic resistance and in vivo colonization of C. jejuni. CmeC is prevalent in C. jejuni strains and is dramatically induced and immunogenic in vivo. In this study, we analyzed CmeC sequence homology, examined in vitro immune protection of CmeC peptide antibodies, and produced full-length recombinant CmeC (rCmeC) for evaluating immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the CmeC subunit vaccine against C. jejuni using chicken model system. Amino acid sequences of CmeC from 24 diverse C. jejuni strains were determined and subjected to alignment, which revealed that CmeC is highly conserved in C. jejuni with a identity ranging from 97.3% to 100%. CmeC peptide antibodies inhibited the function of CmeABC efflux pump and enhanced susceptibility of C. jejuni to bile salts, the natural antimicrobial present in the intestine. Two full-length rCmeC proteins with N- or C-terminal His tag were produced in E. coli; the N-terminal His-tagged rCmeC with high purity and yield was obtained by single step affinity purification. The purified rCmeC was used in two vaccination trials using a chicken model of C. jejuni infection. Stimulation of CmeC-specific serum IgG responses via oral vaccination required immunization with higher doses of rCmeC (200μg) together with 70μg of mucosal adjuvant mLT (modified E. coli heat-labile enterotoxin). Subcutaneous vaccination of chickens with rCmeC remarkably stimulated both serum IgG and IgA responses. However, CmeC-specific intestinal secretory IgA response was not significantly stimulated regardless of vaccination regimen and the rCmeC vaccination did not confer protection against C. jejuni infection. Together, these findings provide further compelling evidence that CmeC is a promising subunit vaccine candidate against C. jejuni infection. However, the CmeC vaccination regimen should be optimized to enhance CmeC-specific mucosal immune response in for protection against C. jejuni.