Immune Responses in Pregnant Sows Induced by Recombinant Lactobacillus johnsonii Expressing the COE Protein of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Provide Protection for Piglets against PEDV Infection.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) induced by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is an intestinal infectious disease in pigs that causes serious economic losses to the pig industry. To develop an effective oral vaccine against PEDV infection, we used a swine-origin Lactobacillus johnsonii (L. johnsonii) as an antigen delivery carrier. A recombinant strain pPG-T7g10-COE/L. johnsonii (L. johnsonii-COE) expressing COE protein (a neutralizing epitope of the viral spike protein) was generated. The immunomodulatory effect on dendritic cell in vitro and immunogenicity in pregnant sows was evaluated following oral administration. L. johnsonii-COE could activate monocyte-derived dendritic cell (MoDC) maturation and triggered cell immune responses. After oral vaccination with L. johnsonii-COE, levels of anti-PEDV-specific serum IgG, IgA, and IgM antibodies as well as mucosal secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) antibody were induced in pregnant sows. High levels of PEDV-specific SIgA and IgG antibodies were detected in the maternal milk, which provide effective protection for the piglets against PEDV infection. In summary, oral L. johnsonii-COE was able to efficiently activate anti-PEDV humoral and cellular immune responses, demonstrating potential as a vaccine for use in sows to provide protection of their piglets against PEDV.

Up-regulation of MDP and tuftsin gene expression in Th1 and Th17 cells as an adjuvant for an oral Lactobacillus casei vaccine against anti-transmissible gastroenteritis virus.

The role of muramyl dipeptide (MDP) and tuftsin in oral immune adjustment remains unclear, particularly in a Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) vaccine. To address this, we investigated the effects of different repetitive peptides expressed by L. casei, specifically the MDP and tuftsin fusion protein (MT) repeated 20 and 40 times (20MT and 40MT), in mice also expressing the D antigenic site of the spike (S) protein of transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) on intestinal and systemic immune responses and confirmed the immunoregulation of these peptides. Treatment of mice with a different vaccine consisting of L. casei expressing MDP and tuftsin stimulated humoral and cellular immune responses. Both 20MT and 40MT induced an increase in IgG and IgA levels against TGEV, as determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Increased IgG and IgA resulted in the activation of TGEV-neutralising antibody activity in vitro. In addition, 20MT and 40MT stimulated the differentiation of innate immune cells, including T helper cell subclasses and regulatory T (Treg) cells, which induced robust T helper type 1 and T helper type 17 (Th17) responses and reduced Treg T cell immune responses in the 20MT and 40MT groups, respectively. Notably, treatment of mice with L. casei expressing 20MT and 40MT enhanced the anti-TGEV antibody immune responses of both the humoral and mucosal immune systems. These findings suggest that L. casei expressing MDP and tuftsin possesses substantial immunopotentiating properties, as it can induce humoral and T cell-mediated immune responses upon oral administration, and it may be useful in oral vaccines against TGEV challenge.