EMIDA ERA-NET Development of a novel subunitvaccine against Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis that does not interfere with bov

This popular scientific summary refers to work done at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute in the period 30.09.2013-30.04.2014. The main objective of the project was to develop a novel subunit vaccine against paratuberculosis that does not interfere with t he diagnosis of neither paratuberculosis nor bovine tuberculosis. In the last summary, we described a vaccine trial where goats were immunized with peptides form the paratuberculosis bacteria, identified by in silico analysis and the use of T cell lines. One group was vaccinated with genome based peptides, a second group with selected peptides, and a third group with a protein made in E. coli where the selected peptides were linked together as "beads on a string". The cellular immune response to individua l peptides was strongest in goats vaccinated with genome based peptides, and clearly lowest in goats immunized with the protein. During the current period, T - cell lines were made from vaccinated goats. Lines from goats immunized with either genome based or selected peptides gave good responses to several of the individual peptides included in the vaccine. Furthermore, the antibody response was tested by establishing an ELISA that measured the levels of serum immunoglobulin against each peptide antigen. The results showed a good antibody response to several peptides in goats immunized with genome based peptides, a somewhat lower response against fewer peptides in goats immunized with selected peptides, and only a small response against the peptides in th e group vaccinated with the protein. Additionally, goats in Denmark were experimentally infected with paratuberculosis, and then vaccinated therapeutically with both the genome based and the selected peptides in Montanide ISA61 adjuvant. The results of th is study showed that goats immunized with peptides had a significantly lower occurrence of DNA from the paratuberculosis bacteria in their gut, compared with goats that were not vaccinated. The results indicate that the vaccine can induce a protective imm une response against paratuberculosis. A disclosure of Invention (DOFI) document has been drawn up to evaluate the possibilities of patenting the inventions in the project.