Construction and Immunization of a Attenuated Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157

Abstract:

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is an important pathogen. One of the important virulence traits of EHEC O157:H7 is the capacity to produce attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions on enterocyte. This property encoded by a pathogenicity island termed the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE). LEE contains ler (LEE-encoded regulator) gene. The product of ler is a central up-regulator of many virulence genes of the LEE. Another important virulence factor of EHEC O157:H7 is Shiga toxin (Stx), encoded by a prophage integrated into the chromosome of O157:H7. In order to obtain an attenuated vaccine candidate, a ler deletion mutant of O157:H7 was constructed by use of suicide vector pCVD442. Meanwhile, due to potential instability of the prophage carrying the stx gene, the prophage was cured with serial passages of bacteria and confirmed by PCR and DNA sequencing. A ler/stx deletion mutant of EHEC O157:H7 was constructed, termed as O157:H7(Δler/Δstx). The cultural supernatant of O157 ler/stx deletion mutant was inoculated in vero cell culture, and the result indicating that O157 ler/stx deletion mutant lost the toxigenicity to vero cell. Test group and control group of mice were orogstrically inoculated with the O157 ler/stx deletion mutant and the virulent strain O157:H7 EDL933, respectively. Mice were observed daily for clinical signs and weight changes. After inoculation of the deletion mutant, test group of mice (inoculated with O157:H7(Δler/Δstx)) gained weight normally and experienced no clinical signs. In contrast, control group of mice (inoculated with O157:H7) exhibited weight loss and all died in four days. In another experiment, pregnant mice were orally vaccinated by O157:H7(Δler/Δstx) twice at interval of 14 days. Subsequently, the suckling mice were orally challenged with O157:H7 EDL933 at 7 days of age. The results showed that 78.34% of the sucking mice born by vaccinated mice were survival and 12.73% of the sucking mice born by non-vaccinated mice were survival. This study demonstrated that O157 ler/stx deletion mutant lost the toxigenicity to vero cell and to be safety to mice. Oral immunization can induce specific immune responses, and this mutant strain could be used as an attenuated vaccine candidate against EHEC O157.