Rationally designed Mycoplasma gallisepticum vaccine using a recombinant subunit approach

Jeremy M Miller; Rosemary Grace Ozyck; Patrick L Pagano; Esmeralda F Hernandez; Megan E Davis; Anton Q Karam; Jessica B Malek; Arlind B Mara; Edan R Tulman; Steven M Szczepanek; Steven J Geary

doi:10.1038/s41541-024-00978-x

Rationally designed Mycoplasma gallisepticum vaccine using a recombinant subunit approach

NPJ Vaccines. 2024 Sep 28;9(1):178. doi: 10.1038/s41541-024-00978-x.

Authors

Jeremy M Miller^{1

2

3}, Rosemary Grace Ozyck^{1

2

3}, Patrick L Pagano¹, Esmeralda F Hernandez¹, Megan E Davis¹, Anton Q Karam¹, Jessica B Malek^{2

3

4}, Arlind B Mara^{1

2

3}, Edan R Tulman^{1

2

3}, Steven M Szczepanek^{1

2

3}, Steven J Geary^{5

6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
² Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
³ US Animal Vaccinology Research Coordination Network, Storrs, CT, USA.
⁴ Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
⁵ Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA. [email protected].
⁶ Center of Excellence for Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA. [email protected].
⁷ US Animal Vaccinology Research Coordination Network, Storrs, CT, USA. [email protected].

Abstract

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is an avian respiratory pathogen causing significant global economic losses to the poultry industries. Current live-attenuated and bacterin vaccines provide some measures of protective immunity but exhibit suboptimal efficacy, utility, or safety. To address these shortcomings, we utilized knowledge of MG biology and virulence to develop a subunit vaccine containing recombinantly produced primary adhesin GapA, cytadhesin-related molecule CrmA, and four early-phase-expressed variable lipoprotein hemagglutinins (VlhAs) (3.03, 3.06, 4.07, 5.05) of the virulent strain Rlow. The vaccine was tested in chickens using a subcutaneous dose of 50 µg per protein, a prime-boost schedule, and strain Rlow challenge in multiple studies to compare adjuvant formulations. While different adjuvants resulted in variable levels of protection, only CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG ODN 2007) resulted in significant reductions of both MG recovery and tracheal pathology. These results demonstrate that a rationally designed and safe subunit vaccine is efficacious against MG disease.

Abstract

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