Evaluation of the multivalent immune protective effects of the Vibrio fluvialis outer membrane protein VF17320, and its DNA and IgY antibody vaccines in fish

Huihui Xiao; Pan Cui; Jing Chen; Libing Meng; Xixian Che; Zijian Ma; Xiaoqing Wu; Juan Lu; Shujun Sun; Guoping Zhu; Yong Liu; Xiang Liu

doi:10.3389/fvets.2025.1586258

Evaluation of the multivalent immune protective effects of the Vibrio fluvialis outer membrane protein VF17320, and its DNA and IgY antibody vaccines in fish

Front Vet Sci. 2025 Jun 18:12:1586258. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1586258. eCollection 2025.

Authors

Huihui Xiao^{1

2}, Pan Cui^{1

2}, Jing Chen¹, Libing Meng¹, Xixian Che^{1

2}, Zijian Ma², Xiaoqing Wu¹, Juan Lu², Shujun Sun², Guoping Zhu³, Yong Liu¹, Xiang Liu^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Embryo Development and Reproductive Regulation, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Hormone and Reproduction, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, China.
² Rural Revitalization Collaborative Technology Service Center of Anhui Province, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, China.
³ Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Metabolic Diseases, Auhui Provincial Engineering Research Centre for Molecular Detection and Diagnostics, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Vaccines exhibit characteristics such as no residue, low drug resistance, and environmental friendliness, and demonstrate application value in aquaculture.

Methods and results: The protein, DNA, and egg yolk antibody (IgY) vaccines targeting the Vibrio fluvialis outer membrane protein VF17320 were immunized to fish (Carassius auratus) and subsequently challenged with V. fluvialis and Aeromonas hydrophila. The results indicated that the three vaccines enhanced the expression levels of immune-related factors of acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and lysozyme (LZM) (p < 0.01), provided immune protection against bacterial infections (p < 0.01), effectively reduced kidney bacterial counts (p < 0.01), and increased the phagocytic activity of white blood cells in C. auratus (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the three vaccines downregulated the expression of inflammation-related genes (p < 0.01) and antioxidant-related factors (p < 0.01) to mitigate the inflammatory and antioxidant response in C. auratus, respectively. Histopathology revealed that the three vaccines preserved the integrity of visceral tissue, and immunofluorescence demonstrated that the vaccines reduced apoptosis and DNA damage in the kidney cells induced by bacterial infection.

Discussion: Overall, the three vaccines exhibit the potential to combat various bacterial infections and can serve as multivalent vaccine candidates for aquaculture.

Keywords: DNA vaccine; IgY vaccine; Vibrio fluvialis; multivalent vaccine; protein vaccine.