Clostridium perfringens beta toxin DNA prime-protein boost elicits enhanced protective immune response in mice

• Published in: Applied microbiology and biotechnology 2017-07, Vol.101 (14), p.5699-5708
• Main Authors: Solanki, Amit Kumar, Bhatia, Bharati, Kaushik, Himani, Deshmukh, Sachin K., Dixit, Aparna, Garg, Lalit C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Antibodies, Bacterial - immunology; Antibodies, Neutralizing - blood; Antibodies, Neutralizing - immunology; Bacterial toxins; Bacterial Toxins - genetics; Bacterial Toxins - immunology; Bacterial Vaccines - immunology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnologically Relevant Enzymes and Proteins; Biotechnology; Cattle; Clostridium; Clostridium perfringens - immunology; Clostridium perfringens - metabolism; CPB gene; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Disease Models, Animal; DNA; DNA sequencing; DNA vaccines; Economic impact; Enteritis; Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous - immunology; Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous - microbiology; Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous - prevention & control; Enterocytes - microbiology; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Farms; Genetic aspects; Health aspects; Heat; Homology; Immune response; Immune system; Immunization; Immunization - methods; Immunization, Secondary; Intestines - microbiology; Life Sciences; Lymphocytes T; Methods; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Pathogens; Sheep; Th1 Cells - immunology; Toxins; Vaccination; Vaccines; Vaccines, DNA - administration & dosage; Vaccines, DNA - genetics; Vaccines, DNA - immunology
• ISSN: 0175-7598; 1432-0614
• DOI: 10.1007/s00253-017-8333-2

Clostridium perfringens beta toxin (CPB) is the primary pathogenic factor responsible for necrotic enteritis in sheep, cattle and humans. Owing to rapid progression of the disease, vaccination is the only possible recourse to avoid high mortality in animal farms and huge economic losses. The present study reports evaluation of a cpb gene-based DNA vaccine encoding the beta toxin of C. perfringens with homologous as well as heterologous booster strategy. Immunization strategy employing heterologous booster with heat-inactivated rCPB mounted stronger immune response when compared to that generated by homologous booster. Antibody isotyping and cytokine ELISA demonstrated the immune response to be Th1-biased mixed immune response. While moderate protection of immunized BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice against rCPB challenge was observed with homologous booster strategy, heterologous booster strategy led to complete protection. Thus, beta toxin-based DNA vaccine using the heterologous prime-boosting strategy was able to generate better immune response and conferred greater degree of protection against high of dose rCPB challenge than homologous booster regimen, making it an effective vaccination approach against C. perfringens beta toxin.