Up-regulation of NLRC5 and NF-кB signaling pathway in carrier chickens challenged with Salmonella enterica Serovar Pullorum at different persistence periods.

The immune performance, SNPs and expression levels of candidate genes (IL1-β, Nramp1, TLR4, MyD88, NF-кB and NLRC5) were analyzed in carrier chickens of a Chinese indigenous breed infected with Salmonella enterica Serovar Pullorum at different persistence periods (12, 19 and 24 weeks of age). Carrier birds at 19 weeks of age presented significant difference in most immune parameters, as compared to carriers at 12 and 24 weeks of age, while no significant difference in most immune parameters was observed between carriers at 12 and 24 weeks of age. The genotype distributions of IL1-β and TLR4 presented significant differences between carriers and healthy birds. The expression levels of most candidate genes in carriers at 19 weeks of age were significantly higher than that in carriers at 12, 24 weeks of age and healthy birds and reached 1% level of significance between carriers at 19 weeks of age and healthy birds. The expression patterns of all genes, but IL-1β and NLRC5 between carriers at 12 and 24 weeks of age in all tissues were similar. Compared with carriers at 12 weeks of age, IL1-β was significantly down-regulated, but NLRC5 was significantly up-regulated in carriers at 24 weeks of age. Our study demonstrated that immune performance of carrier birds was severely impaired at age of sexual maturation and NLRC5 might play as a negative mediator of NF-кB pathway involved in immune response to asymptomatic infection by S. Pullorum. The TLR4/MyD88/NF-кB pathway might be suitable for study on S. Pullorum infection in Chinese indigenous breeds.

The role of rpoS, hmp, and ssrAB in Salmonella enterica Gallinarum and evaluation of a triple-deletion mutant as a live vaccine candidate in Lohmann layer chickens

Salmonella enterica Gallinarum (SG) causes fowl typhoid (FT), a septicemic disease in avian species. We constructed deletion mutants lacking the stress sigma factor RpoS, the nitric oxide (NO)-detoxifying flavohemoglobin Hmp, and the SsrA/SsrB regulator to confirm the functions of these factors in SG. All gene products were fully functional in wild-type (WT) SG whereas mutants harboring single mutations or a combination of rpoS, hmp, and ssrAB mutations showed hypersusceptibility to H2O2, loss of NO metabolism, and absence of Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPI)-2 expression, respectively. A triple-deletion mutant, SGDelta3 (SGDeltarpoSDeltahmpDeltassrAB), was evaluated for attenuated virulence and protection efficacy in two-week-old Lohmann layer chickens. The SGDelta3 mutant did not cause any mortality after inoculation with either 1 x 10(6) or 1 x 10(8) colony-forming units (CFUs) of bacteria. Significantly lower numbers of salmonellae were recovered from the liver and spleen of chickens inoculated with the SGDelta3 mutant compared to chickens inoculated with WT SG. Vaccination with the SGDelta3 mutant conferred complete protection against challenge with virulent SG on the chickens comparable to the group vaccinated with a conventional vaccine strain, SG9R. Overall, these results indicate that SGDelta3 could be a promising candidate for a live Salmonella vaccine against FT.

Construcción de mutantes de salmonella enterica por inactivación de los genes invG/invE y ssaJ/ssaK de las islas de patogenicidad 1 y 2 / Construction of mutants of salmonella enterica for inactivation of invG/invE y ssaJ/ssaK genes of pathogenicity islands 1 and 2

Para la comprensión de las bases genéticas de los mecanismos de patogenicidad de Salmonella se han descrito diversas metodologías para manipular el ADN genómico y generar mutantes con características particulares. En este estudio se reporta la construcción de mutantes a partir de varios serotipos de S. enterica, por sustitución e inactivación de los genes invG/invE en SPI-1 y de los genes ssaJ/ssaK en SPI-2 mediante la técnica de recombinasa Red del fago λ descrita por Datsenko y Wanner (2000). Los genes delecionados en las SPI-1 y SPI-2 codifican para las proteínas que participan en la formación de los sistemas de secreción tipo III, responsables de la invasión y supervivencia intracelular de S. enterica en las células hospedadoras. Los resultados de este trabajo permitirán realizar estudios futuros in vivo para evaluar la posible atenuación de la virulencia de las cepas mutantes, así como aportar nuevos conocimientos sobre los mecanismos genéticos involucrados en la fisiopatogenia de las enfermedades producidas por los serovares estudiados. Además, esta técnica se recomienda para generar de manera eficiente mutantes de diferentes serotipos de S. enterica con la finalidad de estudiar los genes cromosómicos y sus productos.

To understand the genetic basis of Salmonella pathogenicity mechanisms, various methods have been described to manipulate and generate mutant genomic DNA with specific characteristics. In this study we report the construction of mutants from several serotypes of S. enterica, substitution and inactivation of genes invG/invE in SPI-1 gene and ssaJ/ssaK in SPI-2 by the technique of phage λ Red recombinase, as described by Datsenko and Wanner (2000). The gene deletion in SPI-1 and SPI-2 encodes proteins involved in the formation of type III secretion systems responsible for the invasion and intracellular survival of S. enterica in the host cells. The results of this work will allow in vivo studies to evaluate the possible attenuation of virulence of the mutant strains, as well as to provide new insights into the genetic mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of diseases caused by these bacteria. Moreover, this technique is recommended to efficiently generate mutants of different serotypes of S. enterica in order to study the chromosomal genes and their products.

Antigenic competition among different 'O' antigens of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovars during hyperimmunization in pony mares.

The present study on antigenic competition among somatic 'O' antigens of different Salmonella groups (A, B, C1, C2, D and E1) in mares revealed that the immune response to most of the antigens was not (A, B, C2) or little (C1, D) affected by antigenic competition. However, E1 group antigen, which induced high antibody titres (Avg. 12967.3) when given alone, produced almost 3.5 log2 lower antibody titres on giving with other antigens, indicating the antigenic competition among some Salmonella group antigens. The antigenic competition varied for different antigens even of the similar chemical nature. Therefore, antigens belonging to different somatic groups should not be given together for the purpose of raising polyvalent serum or for immunization using multivalent Salmonella vaccines prepared from strains of different 'O' groups revealing antigenic competition.

Protective efficacy of maternal antibodies induced by Salmonella toxoid (vaccine).

An attempt was made to evaluate the protective efficacy of maternal antibodies in chicks against salmonellosis. Layer chicks ageing 21 days were individually vaccinated with 100 microg of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Weltevreden (BM 1643) toxoid adjuvanted with vitamin E subcutaneously. After 90 days of the primary vaccination the birds were given booster dose of the vaccine. The saline extract of the yolk of eggs laid by the vaccinated birds yielded agglutination and ELISA titres ranging from 43.2 +/- 5.33 to 75.2 +/- 6.26 and 4.987 x 10(3) +/- 0.54 to 5.89x103 +/- 0.56, respectively. Sera of chicks hatched from eggs laid by the vaccinated layers were also subjected to agglutination and ELISA. Agglutination and ELISA titres on the 5th day--post hatching (dph) were 21.6 +/- 1.75 and 4.025 x 10(2) +/- 0.59, while on the 10th dph titers were 13.6 +/- 1.65 and 1.21 x 10(2) +/- 0.60, respectively. It was also observed that only one out of 6 chicks died when challenged with 2 x 10(9) CFU of S. serovar Gallirarum at the age of 7 days showing 83.33% protection. Thus it can be concluded that passive immunity confided by Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Weltevreden (BM 1643) toxoid can protect chicks against salmonellosis during their early days of life.

Vacuna atenuada de Salmonella como vector de antígenos heterólogos / Attenuated Salmonella vaccine as a vector for heterologous antigens

Salmonella enterica, serotipo Thphy, es el agente de la fiebre tifoidea de los habitantes de las regiones más pobres del mundo y es, además, el centro de atención de muchos investigadores dados sus fascinantes mecanismos de invasion, multiplicación intracelular y diseminación intercelular que expresa in vivo e in vitro. Aunque estos mecanismos se asocian directamente con la patogenicidad y la severidad de la enfermedad, las mutaciones definidad en el cromosoma de Salmonella han permitido que estos mecanismos de virulencia se puedan utilizar en beneficio del hopedero. Las mutantes atenuadas de Salmonella son capaces de invadir las células M de la mucosa intestinal y de migrar a las células linfoides del sistema reticuloendotelial donde, en lugar de causar enfermedad, activan eficazmente las respuesta inmunes humoral y celular no sólo contra el microorganismo mismo sino también contra aquellos antígenos heterólogos recombinantes que la bacteria pueda expresar y transportar. En la presente revisión, se discutirán los avances más recientes en el campo de las vacunas vivas atenuadas de Salmonella, su evacuación preclínica y clínica y, también, su aplicación como vector de antígenos. Se darán a conocer las técnicas biomoleculares de clonación y expresión procariótica de las toxinas diftérica, tetánica y de pertusis, así como de los antigénos de Helicobacter pylori y de Plasmodium falciparum. Finalmente, se propone el uso de Salmonella atenuada como vector de vacunas de ADN para expresión eucariótica de los antígenos recombinanes. Los continuos esfuerzos científicos y tecnológicos en el campo de la vacunación con vectores vivos atenuados sugieren que Salmonella es una herramienta potencialmente útil para enfrentar el constante reto de la fiebre tifoidea. Igualmente, los estudios preclínicos y clínicos de fase I demuestran la eficacia de la vacuna de Salmonella viva atenuada como vector de antígenos heterólogos. Se requiere un mayor número de estudios clínicos de fase II y III para demostrar que los vectores de Salmonella podrán formar parte del arsenal de vacunas para la protección de la población mundial contra el constante acecho de los agentes infecciosos emergentes y reemergentes del presente siglo