鸡球虫重组疫苗的研究进展

球虫病是由艾美耳球虫引起的一种对家禽危害极为严重的全球性寄生虫病,目前仍以药物防治为主。由于球虫抗药株的不断出现、研制新药的费用昂贵和药物残留的日趋严重,使得球虫疫苗研究成为近年的热点。采用ＤＮＡ重组技术获得的重组疫苗逐渐受到人们的重视,发展很快。综述近年来家禽球虫重组疫苗的研究情况,探讨重组疫苗的利用前景、存在问题和解决途径。     

EGFP标记柔嫩艾美耳球虫重组卡介苗的构建及其在鸡体内的分布

鸡球虫病给禽类养殖业带来重大经济影响。本实验利用DNA重组技术将柔嫩艾美尔球虫保护性抗原基因rhomboid和增强型绿色荧光蛋白EGFP基因串连,将其克隆到BCG中,构建EGFP标记柔嫩艾美耳球虫重组卡介苗pMV361-Rho／EGFP。将rBCG口服免疫6日龄雏鸡,一周后剖杀,取肝、脾、肺、肾、盲肠各组织器官制作冰冻切片,激光共聚焦显微镜观察各组织器官rhomboid表达情况。另分别于免疫后7,14,21,28天提取肝、脾、肺、肾、盲肠各组织器官总RNA,实时定量RT-PCR方法检测rhomboid目的基因转录情况,比较各时期组织器官rhomboid基因表达量。结果显示,免疫一周后,用激光共聚焦显微镜观察到在肝、脾、肺、肾、盲肠各组织器官中均有EGFP表达。实时定量RT-PCR结果显示,免疫14天后rhomboid基因表达量达到高峰,随后开始下降,至28天后消失。本研究为重组卡介苗疫苗作为抗球虫疫苗的研究奠定基础。     

家兔及牛羊球虫病的预防和治疗

饲养家兔时,往往会遇到兔瘟,死亡率很大而且很快,措手不及地遭遇到很大的损失。兔瘟中最主要的是由于感染了原生动物胞子球虫寄生所引起的。一般都称为球虫病。寄生在肠上的叫兔肠球虫,寄生在肝上的叫兔肝球虫。这两种常常会同时寄生在兔体内引起严重的病症,例如大肚症最初是扰乱消化作用,因而消瘦,厉害的内溢血引起腹膜膨胀,最后死亡,特别是幼小的家兔极易感染。 与兔球虫病的斗争,首先应当注意预防的方法。新购到的家兔在放入养兔场之前,当先检查其粪便中有无包囊。检查的方法很简便,将兔粪放入玻璃皿中,加上适量的食盐水,搅稀,然后用吸管吸上几滴放在载玻片上,在显微镜下检视,可以看到卵圆或长椭圆的小包囊(不作专门研究没有必要鉴     

莫能菌素通过成果鉴定

莫能菌素(Monensin)是应用最广泛的抗球虫多醚抗生素之一。自1974年在美国开始应用以来,分别在鸡、羊、兔、肉牛等家禽家畜上用来控制各种球虫病,提高饲料转化率和增加体重,取得了巨大经济效益。该药对鸡的球虫病具有良好的防治效果,在150ppm时可以抑制鸡球虫的孢子卵囊的萌发,从而显著地降低死亡     

柔嫩艾美耳球虫广东株子孢子折光体抗原Etp28基因的克隆和序列分析

鸡球虫病是由顶器官亚门（Ａｐｉｃｏｍｐｌｅｘａ）艾美耳属（Ｅｉｍｅｒｉａ）的一种单细胞寄生原虫引起的严重危害家禽生长发育的疾病。其中,柔嫩艾美耳球虫（Ｅｉｍｅｒｉａｔｅｎｅｌａ）通过在鸡的盲肠上皮细胞内进行裂体生殖,形成大量的裂殖体并引起广泛出血而造...     

RNAi技术在抗甲型流感病毒中的研究进展

RNAi技术广泛应用于防治人类多种疾病病原的药物和疫苗开发中,并取得了巨大的成果。流感病毒极易发生抗原漂移和抗原转变,这给抗流感病毒药物和疫苗的研制提出很大的挑战。RNAi技术的出现给流感的防治提供了新的思路。对近年来国内外利用RNAi技术开发抗流感病毒药物和新型流感疫苗研究现状及前景进行综述,以期为流感的综合防治研究提供参考。     

口蹄疫病毒的分子生物学和新型疫苗的研制

口蹄疫目前在世界上特别是在亚、非、拉美地区仍然是构成严重经济问题的一个病害,许多国家在大力研制和开发高效、安全的疫苗,包括用遗传工程手段制备的疫苗。近年来由于运用快速的核酸序列分析、重组DNA和单克隆抗体等新技术,使我们对口蹄疫病毒的基因组结构和抗原结构有了更多的了解,这对研制新型疫苗有直接的指导意义;另一方面,合成多肽的应用在模拟病毒抗原决定子及开发新型疫苗上也正崭露头角。     

柔嫩艾美耳球虫重组鸡痘病毒的构建与免疫保护研究

以鸡柔嫩艾美耳球虫(E.tenella)杂交株F2的RNA为模板,应用反转录聚合酶链式反应(RT-PCR)技术扩增了杂交株F2的Rhomboid蛋白家族相关基因,将PCR产物克隆至pMD18-T载体中,构建出克隆质粒pMD-Rhomboid.以KpnⅠ、PstⅠ双酶切重组质粒pMD-Rhomboid和鸡痘病毒载体质粒pUTA2,并将纯化的Rhomboid基因亚克隆至鸡痘病毒载体pUTA2复合启动子下游,构建出真核表达重组质粒pUTA-Rhomboid.采用脂质体转染技术,将该质粒转染FPV282E4株感染的鸡胚成纤维细胞(CEF)中,通过BrdU药物加压筛选,并通过RT-PCR和蛋白质印迹等方法检测,筛选出一株球虫鸡痘重组病毒rFPV-Rhomboid.进一步经CEF扩增病毒后,免疫雏鸡,监测免疫指标.结果表明:重组病毒接种鸡外周血中的CD4 、CD8 含量显著高于非免疫对照组(P<0.05);与对照组相比,重组病毒对鸡的增重效果差异显著(P<0.05),对E.tenella的攻击具有一定的保护作用,显示出较好的应用前景.     

共表达MDV糖蛋白B和鸡γ干扰素基因的重组鸡痘病毒的构建

鸡马立克氏病 (ＭＤ)是鸡的常见的淋巴组织增生性疾病 ,由α 疱疹病毒引起。由于该病既能引起免疫抑制作用 ,又能导致较高的病死率 ,一直是危害养鸡业发展的重要疾病之一[1] 。现使用的疫苗有马立克氏病病毒 (ＭＤＶ)血清 1、2、3型单价苗和混合多价苗 ,在疾病的预防中起重要作用。但ＭＤ冻干疫苗免疫保护力低而液氮疫苗保存运输不方便 ,并常因此造成免疫失败。为了研制免疫保护率高、使用方便新一代疫苗 ,国内外许多实验室开展了ＭＤ重组基因工程疫苗的研究 ,如ＭＤ亚单位疫苗、重组活病毒载体疫苗、基因疫苗等。目前研制成功的重组疫苗的…     

真菌疫苗的研究进展

近年来,条件致病性真菌引起的真菌病发病率显著上升,临床应用的抗真菌药物疗效不佳。真菌疫苗的开发显示了良好的应用前景。由于我们对真菌及宿主的免疫应答认识有限,真菌疫苗的研制也因此受到限制。但随着对上述问题的深入探索,真菌疫苗的研究在过去几年中取得了很大的发展。现将几种常见真菌疫苗的研究进展作一综述。     

Cell: sporozoite interactions and invasion by apicomplexan parasites of the genus Eimeria

The site specificity that avian Eimeria sporozoites and, to a more limited degree, other apicomplexan parasites exhibit for invasion in vivo suggests that specific interactions between the sporozoites and the target host cells may mediate the invasion process. Although sporozoite motility and structural and secreted antigens appear to provide the mechanisms for propelling the sporozoite into the host cell,there is a growing body of evidence that the host cell provides characteristics by which the sporozoites recognise and interact with the host cell as a prelude to invasion. Molecules on the surface of cells in the intestinal epithelium, that act as receptor or recognition sites for sporozoite invasion, may be included among these characteristics. The existence of receptor molecules for invasion by apicomplexan parasites was suggested by in vitro studies in which parasite invasion was inhibited in cultured cells that were treated with a variety of substances designed to selectively alter the host cell membrane. These substance included cationic compounds or molecules, enzymes that cleave specific linkages, protease inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, etc. More specific evidence for the presence of receptors was provided by the binding of parasite antigens to specific host cell surface molecules.Analyses of host cells have implicated 22, 31, and 37 kDa antigens, surface membrane glycoconjugates,conserved epitopes of host cells and sporozoites, etc., but no treatment that perturbs these putative receptors has completely inhibited invasion of the cells by parasites. Regardless of the mechanism,sporozoites of the avian Eimeria also invade the same specific sites in foreign host birds that they invade in the natural host. Thus, site specificity for invasion may be a response to characteristics of the intestine that are shared by a number of hosts rather than to a unique trait of the natural host. Protective immunity elicited against avian Eimeria species is not manifested in a total blockade of parasite invasion. In fact, the effect of immunity on invasion differs according to the eliciting species and depends upon the area of the intestine that is invaded. Immunity produced against caecal species of avian Eimeria, for example Eimeria tenella and Eimeria adenoeides, inhibits subsequent invasion by homologous or heterologous challenge species, regardless of the area of the intestine that the challenge species invade. Conversely, in birds immunised with upper intestinal species, Eimeria acervulina and Eimeria meleagrimitis, invasion by challenge species is not decreased and often is significantly increased.     

Sustainable coccidiosis control in poultry production: the role of live vaccines

The development of new methods of administering coccidiosis vaccines has facilitated their use in the hatchery and thereby improved prospects for the economic vaccination of broilers. The acquisition of protective immunity to Eimeria species is boosted by further exposure to infection after vaccination. Factors that affect the reproductive efficiency of non-attenuated and attenuated vaccines are considered and the key role that oocyst production plays in establishing and maintaining uniform immunity in a flock of chickens is discussed. In addition to immunisation, a possible advantage to the application of certain vaccines is that their use could repopulate poultry houses with drug-sensitive organisms. Theoretical rotation programmes in which the use of drugs is alternated with that of vaccines are described. Variability of the cross-protective immune response between strains of the same species should be considered during vaccine development and subsequent use. The significance of less common species of Eimeria, not included in all vaccines, also needs to be assessed. An important consideration is the occurrence of pathogens other than Eimeria (such as the bacterium Clostridium) in flocks given coccidiosis vaccines and the methods by which they might be controlled. More research is required into the relationship between bacterial and viral infections of poultry and coccidiosis vaccination. Vaccines need to be developed that are simple to apply and cost effective for use in areas of the world where small-scale poultry production is commonplace. In the near future it is likely that more live vaccines based upon oocysts derived from attenuated strains of Eimeria will be developed but in the longer term vaccines will be based on the selective presentation to the host of specific molecules that can induce protective immunity. This achievement will require significant investment from the private and public sectors, and, if successful, will facilitate the sustainable control of coccidiosis in poultry production.     

Live attenuated vaccines against avian coccidiosis: Success with precocious and egg-adapted lines of Eimeria

Avian coccidiosis, caused by parasites of the genus Eimeria, is a major disease of intensively reared poultry. Anticoccidial drugs, and vaccines based on live wild-type (virulent) parasites, have aided the management of coccidiosis, but the development of vaccines based on live attenuated parasites has been a significant advance. Here, Martin Shirley and Petr Bedrník explain the basis of these recent vaccines and discuss their use.     

Genetic mapping identifies novel highly protective antigens for an apicomplexan parasite

Apicomplexan parasites are responsible for a myriad of diseases in humans and livestock; yet despite intensive effort, development of effective sub-unit vaccines remains a long-term goal. Antigenic complexity and our inability to identify protective antigens from the pool that induce response are serious challenges in the development of new vaccines. Using a combination of parasite genetics and selective barriers with population-based genetic fingerprinting, we have identified that immunity against the most important apicomplexan parasite of livestock (Eimeria spp.) was targeted against a few discrete regions of the genome. Herein we report the identification of six genomic regions and, within two of those loci, the identification of true protective antigens that confer immunity as sub-unit vaccines. The first of these is an Eimeria maxima homologue of apical membrane antigen-1 (AMA-1) and the second is a previously uncharacterised gene that we have termed 'immune mapped protein-1' (IMP-1). Significantly, homologues of the AMA-1 antigen are protective with a range of apicomplexan parasites including Plasmodium spp., which suggest that there may be some characteristic(s) of protective antigens shared across this diverse group of parasites. Interestingly, homologues of the IMP-1 antigen, which is protective against E. maxima infection, can be identified in Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum. Overall, this study documents the discovery of novel protective antigens using a population-based genetic mapping approach allied with a protection-based screen of candidate genes. The identification of AMA-1 and IMP-1 represents a substantial step towards development of an effective anti-eimerian sub-unit vaccine and raises the possibility of identification of novel antigens for other apicomplexan parasites. Moreover, validation of the parasite genetics approach to identify effective antigens supports its adoption in other parasite systems where legitimate protective antigen identification is difficult.     

Resistance to anticoccidial drugs in fowl

Resistance has been encountered wherever drugs have been used extensively for the control of parasitic infections. The poultry industry is dependent upon drugs for the control of coccidiosis, a major disease of chickens caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Eimeria. In modern poultry production, drugs are used prophylactically for the prevention of coccidiosis by including them in the diet. This has inevitably led to the development of resistance. We have been fortunate in that new drugs have become available to replace those to which resistance has developed, but this situation is unlikely to continue. The problem of drug resistance, discussed here by David Chapman, has provided impetus for the development of new approaches (such as vaccination) for the control of coccidiosis.     

Partial protection against Eimeria acervulina and Eimeria tenella induced by synthetic peptide vaccine

Coccidiosis is a major parasitic disease of poultry industry and an ideal vaccine should induce long-lasting cross-species protective immunity. Broiler chickens (Cobb 500) were inoculated with single, double or triple injections of a synthetic peptide (derived from sequences of Eimeria acervulina and Eimeria tenella antigens) homogenized in Freund's complete and incomplete adjuvants. The immune responses to the vaccine were assessed by evaluation of antibody and lymphocyte proliferation responses, and the degree of resistance of vaccinated chickens to challenge with sporulated oocysts of E. acervulina or E. tenella determined by comparison of their oocyst output with those of control chickens. The results indicated that the synthetic peptide vaccine induced a high level of antibody and cellular responses associated with partial cross-species protection against challenge with sporulated oocysts of E. acervulina or E. tenella.     

Global protein expression analysis in apicomplexan parasites: current status

Members of the phylum Apicomplexa are important protozoan parasites that cause some of the most serious, and in some cases, deadly diseases in humans and animals. They include species from the genus Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Eimeria, Neospora, Cryptosporidium, Babesia and Theileria. The medical, veterinary and economic impact of these pathogens on a global scale is enormous. Although chemo- and immuno-prophylactic strategies are available to control some of these parasites, they are inadequate. Currently, there is an urgent need to design new vaccines or chemotherapeutics for apicomplexan diseases. High-throughput global protein expression analyses using gel or non-gel based protein separation technologies coupled with mass spectrometry and bioinformatics provide a means to identify new drug and vaccine targets in these pathogens. Protein identification based proteomic projects in apicomplexan parasites is currently underway, with the most significant progress made in the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. More recently, preliminary two-dimensional gel electrophoresis maps of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum tachyzoites and Eimeria tenella sporozoites, have been produced, as well as for micronemes in E. tenella. In this review, the status of proteomics in the analysis of global protein expression in apicomplexan parasites will be compared and the challenges associated with these investigations discussed.     

Immunostimulating complexes incorporating Eimeria tenella antigens and plant saponins as effective delivery system for coccidia vaccine immunization

Immunostimulating complexes (ISCOMs) are unique, multimolecular structures formed by encapsulating antigens, lipids, and triterpene saponins of plant origin, and are an effective delivery system for various kinds of antigens. The uses of ISCOMs formulated with saponins from plants collected in Kazakhstan, with antigens from the poultry coccidian parasite Eimeria tenella, were evaluated for their potential use in developing a vaccine for control of avian coccidiosis. Saponins isolated from the plants Aesculus hippocastanum and Glycyrrhiza glabra were partially purified by HPLC. The saponin fractions obtained from HPLC were evaluated for toxicity in chickens and chicken embryos. The HPLC saponin fractions with the least toxicity, compared to a commercial saponin Quil A, were used to assemble ISCOMs. When chicks were immunized with ISCOMs prepared with saponins from Kazakhstan plants and E. tenella antigens, and then challenged with E. tenella oocysts, significant protection was conveyed compared to immunization with antigen alone. The results of this study indicate that ISCOMs formulated with saponins isolated from plants indigenous to Kazakhstan are an effective antigen delivery system which may be successfully used, with low toxicity, for preparation of highly immunogenic coccidia vaccine.     

Development of a genetically engineered vaccine against poultry coccidiosis

Coccidiosis is caused by infection with Eimeria spp. The disease is responsible for major economic loss to the poultry industry unless infections are controlled by anticoccidial drugs. John Ellis and Fiona Tomley discuss recent research on the characterization and cloning of antigens from Eimeria spp and advances towards the development of genetically engineered vaccines against poultry coccidiosis.