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Multi-epitope recombinant vaccine induces immunoprotection against mixed infection of Eimeria spp.

Parasitology Research volume 110, pages 2297–2306 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

Immunity to Eimeria is species-specific, and chickens with immunity to one species of Eimeria remain susceptible to other Eimeria species. This presents a major challenge in the development of effective vaccines against multiple Eimeria species. In this study, we cloned the antigenic epitope of a tachyzoite surface protein gene of Eimeria tenella, a tachyzoite surface protein gene of Eimeria acervulina and the gametocyte protein gene of Eimeria maxima, and constructed prokaryotic and eukaryotic plasmids carrying the multi-epitope antigenic gene. Immunization of chickens with the multivalent DNA and protein conferred partial protection against infection by the three Eimeria species, as shown by increased CD4+ T lymphocytes in the intestinal mucosa, decreased oocyst excretion and intestinal lesions, and increased body weight gain compared with non-immunized controls. The DNA prime-protein boost immunization schedule induced greater cellular immunity and protection from Eimeria infection than immunization with DNA or protein alone. Our findings demonstrated that DNA prime-protein boost immunization with a multivalent vaccine could stimulate protective immunity against challenge infection of multiple Eimeria species. This work provides a promising step towards DNA–protein vaccination against multiple species of pathogens.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Program for Cheung Kong Scholars and Innovative.

Research Team in University of China (No. IRT0866). We are grateful to Dr Jin Zhu.

(Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australia) for his assistance in the preparation of the manuscript.

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Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture and National animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China

    Jun Ding, Weifeng Qian, Qun Liu & Qiaorong Liu

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  1. Jun Ding
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  2. Weifeng Qian
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  3. Qun Liu
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  4. Qiaorong Liu
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Correspondence to Qun Liu.

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Ding, J., Qian, W., Liu, Q. et al. Multi-epitope recombinant vaccine induces immunoprotection against mixed infection of Eimeria spp.. Parasitol Res 110, 2297–2306 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2764-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2764-y

Keywords

  • Vero Cell
  • Body Weight Gain
  • Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test
  • Eimeria Species
  • Sporulated Oocyst