A Multiepitope Subunit Vaccine for Enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli (ETEC) Expressing LT, STA, STB, and STX2E Toxins

<p>Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) are the main cause of diarrhea in young animals (and humans). Neonatal and post-weaning diarrhea causes significant economic losses to swine and other livestock producers worldwide. Currently, there is no effective vaccine to protect young animals, such as pigs, against ETEC diarrhea. Enterotoxins, including heat-labile (LT), heat-stable type I (STa), heat-stable type II (STb) and shiga-like toxin Stx2e, produced by ETEC strains are the virulence determinants in porcine ETEC-associated diarrhea. These enterotoxins enzymatically disrupt fluid homeostasis in pig small intestinal epithelial cells that leads to fluid and electrolyte hyper-secretion and diarrhea. A protective antitoxin vaccine that induces host immunity to neutralize enterotoxicity of LT, STa, STb and Stx2e would protect against diarrhea and is urgently needed. In this study, a fusion antigen was genetically constructed which consists of antigenic epitopes from LT, STa, STb and Stx2e, antigen safety and immunogenicity of this fusion antigen was examined in a murine model, and potential application in vaccine development against ETEC diarrhea was assessed. Results showed that mice intraperitoneally immunized with this fusion antigen developed antitoxin antibodies specific to each toxin. Furthermore, induced antitoxin antibodies exhibited some neutralizing activities against these enterotoxins. These data indicated this fusion antigen induced broad antitoxin immunity, and suggested this fusion antigen could be used in future development of protective antitoxin vaccines against ETEC diarrhea in pigs and likely other livestock animals.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis - University Access Only

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences

Year dc:date.available

2014

Author dc:creator

• Rausch, Dana

Contributors dc:contributor

• Weiping Zhang

Statement dc:rights

• <p>In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted<br /><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/</a></p>

Language dc:language

en

Repository record dc:identifier

https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/1584

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:openprairie.sdstate.edu:etd-2589