Development and evaluation of immunological effects of a DNA vaccine encoding phosphoketolase family protein against Nocardia seriolae in hybrid snakehead

Ziwen Zhang, Guoquan Chen, Na Li, Yuhao Li, Wanna Sirimanapong, Jianlin Chen, Liqun Xia

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Fish nocardiosis is a chronic disease mainly caused by Nocardia seriolae, which occurs in a variety of economically cultured freshwater and marine fish. Studies have shown that DNA vaccine is an effective treatment to protect fish from bacterial infection. In our previous experiment, an in vivo-induced gene of N. seriolae, encoding phosphoketolase (PK) family protein, was identified by in vivo-induced antigen technology. In the present study, the antigenic gene encoding PK family protein was analyzed by bioinformatics and further inserted into the eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.1-myc-his-A for DNA vaccine development. The immunological effects of pcDNA-PK DNA vaccine were assessed in hybrid snakehead (Channa maculata ♀ × Channa argus ♂), showing induction in several serum enzyme activity parameters (including LZM, SOD, ACP and AKP), increasing in specific-antibody IgM levels, as well as up-regulation in six immune-related genes (CD4, CD8α, TNFα, IL-1β, MHCIα and MHCIIα). Moreover, an immune-protection with a relative survival rate was provided at 53.82 % following artificial challenge with N. seriolae in vaccinated fish in comparison to the control group. In summary, these results indicate that pcDNA-PK DNA vaccine could boost strong immune responses in hybrid snakehead and show preferably protective efficacy against N. seriolae, which may be applied in aquaculture to control fish nocardiosis.

Original languageEnglish
Article number109773
JournalFish and Shellfish Immunology
Volume152
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2024

Keywords

  • DNA vaccine
  • Fish nocardiosis
  • Hybrid snakehead
  • In vivo-induced antigen
  • Nocardia serioale
  • Phosphoketolase family protein

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