Engineering Plant-Produced Nanoparticle Vaccines Targeting Salmonella Colonization in Poultry
Abstract
Salmonella enterica serovars are major pathogens responsible for bacterial gastroenteritis in humans, primarily associated with poultry products. Controlling Salmonella in chickens is particularly challenging because infected birds often carry the pathogen undetected into slaughterhouses, leading to meat contamination. This issue is exacerbated by the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains, highlighting the need for alternative strategies, such as vaccines, to manage Salmonella infections and protect poultry health and food safety.
In this study, bacterial outer membrane proteins, were investigated as antigenic candidates for vaccine development. These proteins were produced in transplastomic plants to explore their potential as immunogens. Although the protein yield was insufficient for direct vaccine application, partially purified proteins elicited an immune response in mice, resulting in the production of antibodies capable of binding to Salmonella. The findings demonstrated the feasibility of using plant systems to produce complex bacterial proteins capable of stimulating an immune response.
Building on these findings, nanoparticle-based vaccine candidates were developed by fusing antigenic peptides from the same bacterial proteins with a self-assembling nanoparticle scaffold. These constructs were transiently expressed in plants, purified, and evaluated for their ability to elicit immune responses, demonstrating promising results in mice.
This research presents a novel approach to developing plant-based, nanoparticle vaccines, with potential applications in preventing Salmonella colonization in poultry, thereby contributing to improved animal health and food safety.