Antibodies to a Common Outer Envelope Antigen of Treponema hyodysenteriae with Antibacterial Activity

Abstract

Outer envelopes of Treponema hyodysenteriae strains PI 8A and VS1 were prepared and characterized by SDS-PAGE. In Western blot analysis of eleven strains of T. hyodysenteriae and two intestinal non-pathogenic spirochaetes, polyclonal antiserum raised to the outer envelopes of strain P18A contained antibodies primarily to two polypeptides. A 45 kDa polypeptide was present in only two strains of T. hyodysenteriae, P 18A and MC52/80, whereas another antigen of 16 kDa was common to all eleven strains of T. hyodysenteriae but was not present in the two nonpathogens. Immunogold labelling of whole organisms suggested that the 16 kDa antigen was present on the surface of the spirochaetes. In in vitro tests the serum agglutinated and inhibited growth of only the T. hyodysenteriae strains, suggesting that antibodies to the 16 kDa antigen were responsible for these activities. Serum from a gnotobiotic pig infected with T. hyodysenteriae strain P18A had antibodies to the 16 kDa antigen alone and also possessed agglutinating and growth-inhibitory activities.

Analysis of outer membrane ultrastructure of pathogenic Treponema and Borrelia species by freeze-fracture electron microscopy

“…pallidum; divergent results have been obtained in other studies using selective detergent solubilization (32,39). Our results clearly do not support the suggestion that the OM of T. hyodysenteriae resembles that of T. pallidum subspecies.…”

“…No systems for introducing DNA into members of the family Spirochaetaceae have been developed. The spirochetal outer membrane (OM) tends to be easily damaged by mild physical and chemical manipulations (3,12,14,15,27,28,32). Work with spirochetes such as Treponema pallidum subsp.…”

Presence of 22 and 17-kDa Proteins Reacting with Sera in Mice Experimentally Infected with Brachyspira (Serpulina) hyodysenteriae.

“…A serum from a gnotobiotic pig infected with B.(S.) hyodysenteriae strain P18A had antibodies to the 16-kDa antigen alone and also possessed agglutinating and growth-inhibitory activities [13]. These results demonstrated that the antibodies may contribute to an antibacterial mechanism in vivo which could lead to protection of the pig from swine dysentery.…”

“…The antibody in pig which was reacting with 16-kDa protein in B.(S.) hyodysenteriae was confirmed [7,13]. A serum from a gnotobiotic pig infected with B.(S.)…”

“…On the other hand, pigs that have been infected with virulent strains of B.(S.) hyodysenteriae and recover from the disease have been shown to be immune to further infection [6,13]. The antibody in pig which was reacting with 16-kDa protein in B.(S.)…”