Vaccination of mice with an antigenic serine protease-like protein elicits a protective immune response against Trichinella spiralis infection

J Parasitol. 2013 Jun;99(3):426-32. doi: 10.1645/12-46.1. Epub 2012 Dec 19.

Abstract

Trichinellosis has major economic impacts on animal husbandry and food safety, and the control and elimination of trichinellosis is a major objective of veterinary medicine. A gene encoding serine protease of Trichinella spiralis (Ts-Adsp) was identified by immunoscreening an adult T. spiralis cDNA library. In this study, the recombinant Ts-Adsp protein (rTs-Adsp) was cloned and expressed in a prokaryotic expression system and purified by Ni-affinity chromatography. To determine whether the purified rTs-Adsp is a potential vaccine candidate for the control of T. spiralis infection, we immunized BALB/c mice with this protein in combination with an alum adjuvant and subsequently challenged with T. spiralis larvae. The results showed that mice vaccinated with rTs-Adsp exhibited an average reduction in the muscle larvae burden of 46.5% relative to the control group. Immunization with the rTs-Adsp antigen induced both humoral and cellular immune responses, which manifested as elevated specific anti-rTs-Adsp IgG and IgE antibodies and a mixed Th1-Th2 response, as determined by Th1 (IFN-γ and IL-2) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13) cytokine profiling, with the Th2 predominant. Thus, purified rTs-Adsp is able to limit the invasion of T. spiralis , and this protein could be an effective vaccine candidate for trichinellosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Helminth / blood
  • Antigens, Helminth / administration & dosage
  • Antigens, Helminth / genetics
  • Antigens, Helminth / immunology*
  • CD4-CD8 Ratio
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • DNA, Complementary / administration & dosage
  • DNA, Complementary / immunology
  • DNA, Helminth / administration & dosage
  • DNA, Helminth / immunology
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Immunoglobulin E / blood
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Recombinant Proteins / administration & dosage
  • Recombinant Proteins / immunology
  • Serine Proteases / administration & dosage
  • Serine Proteases / genetics
  • Serine Proteases / immunology*
  • Spleen / cytology
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Trichinella spiralis / enzymology
  • Trichinella spiralis / genetics
  • Trichinella spiralis / immunology*
  • Trichinellosis / immunology
  • Trichinellosis / prevention & control*
  • Vaccination
  • Vaccines, DNA* / administration & dosage
  • Vaccines, DNA* / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Helminth
  • Antigens, Helminth
  • Cytokines
  • DNA, Complementary
  • DNA, Helminth
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Vaccines, DNA
  • Immunoglobulin E
  • Serine Proteases