Immunoprotection of chickens against Eimeria acervulina by recombinant α-tubulin protein

• Published in: Parasitology research (1987) Vol. 103; no. 5; pp. 1133 - 1140
• Main Authors: Ding, Jun, Bao, Weichao, Liu, Qun, Yu, Qi, Abdille, M. H, Wei, Zheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.10.2008; Springer-Verlag; Springer
• Subjects: Animals; antigens; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Chickens; Coccidiosis - immunology; Coccidiosis - veterinary; Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; Eimeria; Eimeria acervulina; Escherichia coli; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models; immune response; immunization; Immunology; Invertebrates; Medical Microbiology; Microbiology; microtubules; oocysts; Original Paper; parasites; polymerization; Poultry Diseases - immunology; Poultry Diseases - parasitology; Protozoan Proteins - genetics; Protozoan Proteins - immunology; Protozoan Vaccines - immunology; Recombinant Proteins - immunology; subcutaneous injection; tubulin; Tubulin - genetics; Tubulin - immunology; Vaccines, Synthetic - immunology; weight gain; Duodenal Lesion; Sporulated Oocyst; Coccidiosis; Lymphocyte Proliferation Assay; Body Weight Gain; Immunoprotection; Protozoa; Apicomplexa; Vertebrata; Tubulin; Parasite; Eimeria acervulina; Chicken; Recombinant protein; Aves
• ISSN: 0932-0113; 1432-1955
• DOI: 10.1007/s00436-008-1106-1

Tubulins are heterodimeric molecules responsible for the polymerization of microtubules in apicomplexan parasites. The α-tubulin, a subcellular structural protein of Eimeria acervulina, was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli as an α-tubulin-GST fusion protein. Immunogenicity of the recombinant protein was studied in chickens by subcutaneous injection of 50, 100, or 150 μg of the protein with or without Freund's adjuvant. Immunization with 150 μg α-tubulin-GST protein in combination with Freund's adjuvant conferred partial protection against E. acervulina oocyst challenge, as shown by a 36% reduction in oocyst shedding, a marked decrease in intestinal lesion score and a significant increase in body weight gain in comparison with the nonimmunized controls. The results suggest that α-tubulin protein may be used as an effective vaccine antigen for the control of Eimeria infection.