Immunoprotective efficacy evaluation of OmpTS subunit vaccine against Aeromonas hydrophila infection in Megalobrama amblycephala

Abstract

Bacterial septicemia in freshwater fish is mainly caused by Aeromonas hydrophila infection, which affects the development of aquaculture industry. In the context of sustainable aquaculture, subunit vaccines are of great values because they play positive roles in reducing the overuse of antibiotics and protecting aquatic animals against bacterial infection. In this study, the recombinant outer membrane protein OmpTS of A. hydrophila were used as subunit vaccine to immunize Megalobrama amblycephala, and its immunoprotective effect and host immune responses were evaluated. The survival rates of the vaccinated groups after bacterial infection were significantly higher than that of the control group, especially of the OmpTS high-dose vaccinated group. The better protective effects of vaccinated groups might be attributed to the increased levels of serum IgM-specific antibody titer, the reduced relative abundance of A. hydrophila in various tissues, the increased number of immune-positive cells with different epitopes, the up-regulated expression levels of immune-related genes, and the enhanced activities of antibacterial enzymes. In conclusion, OmpTS subunit vaccine could strongly induce host immune responses in M. amblycephala, thereby enhancing both cellular and humoral immunity, which exhibited excellent and effective immunoprotective efficacy.