Protection of chickens from fowl cholera by vaccination with recombinant adhesive protein of Pasteurella multocida

The recombinant adhesive protein (rCp39) of Pasteurella multocida strain P-1059 (serovar A:3) was prepared and purified with a hybrid condition of affinity chromatography. The rCp39 was highly protective for chickens from fowl cholera by challenge-exposure with parental strain P-1059 or heterologous strain X-73 (serovar A:1) compared to various kind of vaccines. Sixteen groups of ten chickens each were subcutaneously inoculated twice with 100, 200 or 400 mu g proteins of rCp39, native Cp39, native outer membrane protein H (OmpH) or recombinant OmpH, or 100 mu g proteins of crude capsular extract (CCE) of strains P-1059 or X-73 at 2 weeks interval. Five chickens of each group were challenge-exposed with each strain 2 weeks after the second inoculation. As the results, 60-100% protections were demonstrated in the chickens against both strains. Fisher's exact test indicated no significant differences (P<0.05) in vaccine types and dosages. ELISA and Western blot analysis indicated that the chicken anti-rCp39 sera reacted to whole-cell lysate of parental or heterologous strains. In conclusion, rCp39 is a cross-protective recombinant adhesive antigen of P multocida capsular serogroup A strains. Moreover, a hybrid condition of affinity chromatography was successfully demonstrated and protected the immunogenicity of recombinant protein. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.