PUBLICATION

Francisella noatunensis ssp. noatunensis iglC deletion mutant protects adult zebrafish challenged with acute mortality dose of wild-type strain

Authors
Lampe, E.O., Tandberg, J.I., Rishovd, A.L., Winther-Larsen, H.C.
ID
ZDB-PUB-170307-9
Date
2017
Source
Diseases of aquatic organisms   123: 123-140 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
Atlantic cod, Francisella noatunensis, Immunization, Zebrafish, iglC
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins/genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins/metabolism*
  • Cytokines/genetics
  • Cytokines/metabolism
  • Francisella/classification
  • Francisella/genetics
  • Francisella/pathogenicity*
  • Gadiformes/physiology
  • Gene Deletion
  • Gene Expression Regulation/immunology
  • Gene Expression Regulation/physiology
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/microbiology
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/mortality
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections/veterinary*
  • Head Kidney/cytology
  • Leukocytes/microbiology
  • Up-Regulation
  • Virulence
  • Zebrafish*
PubMed
28262634 Full text @ Dis. Aquat. Organ.
Abstract
The intracellular fish pathogen Francisella noatunensis remains an unsolved problem for aquaculture worldwide and an efficient vaccine is needed. In Francisella sp., IglC is an important virulence factor necessary for intracellular growth and escape from phagolysosomes. Deletion of the intracellular growth locus C (iglC) in Francisella sp. causes attenuation, but vaccine potential has only been attributed to ΔiglC from Francisella noatunensis ssp. orientalis, a warm-water fish pathogen. A ΔiglC mutant was constructed in the cold-water fish pathogen F. noatunensis ssp. noatunensis (Fnn), which causes francisellosis in Atlantic cod; the mutant was assessed in primary head kidney leucocytes from Atlantic cod. Fluorescence microscopy revealed reduced growth, while qPCR revealed an initial increase followed by a reduction in mutant genomes. Mutant-infected cod leucocytes presented higher interleukin 1 beta (il1β) and interleukin 8 (il8) transcription than wild-type (WT)-infected cells. Two doses of mutant and WT were tested in an adult zebrafish model whereupon 3 × 109 CFU caused acute disease and 3 × 107 CFU caused low mortality regardless of strain. However, splenomegaly developed only in the WT-infected zebrafish. Immunization with 7 × 106 CFU of Fnn ΔiglC protected zebrafish against challenge with a lethal dose of Fnn WT, and bacterial load was minimized within 28 d. Immunized fish had lower interleukin 6 (il6) and il8 transcription in kidney and prolonged interferon-gamma (ifng) transcription in spleens after challenge compared with non-immunized fish. Our data suggest an immunogenic potential of Fnn ΔiglC and indicate important cytokines associated with francisellosis pathogenesis and protection.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping