Replication and transmission features of two experimental vaccine candidates against bovine tuberculosis subcutaneously administrated in a murine model

Cattle vaccination is an attractive approach in compliance with control and eradication programs against Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB). Today, there is no anti bTB vaccine licensed. Two vaccine candidates, MbΔmce2 and MbΔmce2-phoP previously designed were evaluated in BALB/c mice, including the parental M. bovis NCTC10772 and a M. bovis hypervirulent Mb04-303 strains as controls. Sentinel mice (non-inoculated) cohoused with subcutaneous inoculated mice. Persistence, visible tuberculosis lesions (VTL) in lungs and spleens and bacillary load were investigated subcutaneously delivered at 60 and 90 days after inoculation (dpi) as well as their potential transmission to naïve mice. While a 100% survival was observed at 90 dpi without VTL in all groups, transmission was not evidenced in the sentinels mice. Vaccine candidates and control strains were isolated from the spleen of all inoculated mice, while Mb04-303 was isolated from the lungs of one inoculated mouse. Vaccine candidate's attenuation considering survival, lung bacillary load and VTL was confirmed, administrated by the subcutaneous route. Future experiments are necessary to demonstrate whether the persistence of both mutants in the spleen, with low CFU, remains over time to increase the potential increasing risk of dissemination to organs and subsequent transmission to other animals by airborne or other routes.

Instituto de Biotecnología

Fil: Ferrara Muñiz, Ximena. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; Argentina

Fil: Ferrara Muñiz, Ximena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

Fil: Garcia, Elizabeth Andrea. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; Argentina

Fil: Garcia, Elizabeth Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

Fil: Blanco, Federico Carlos. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; Argentina

Fil: Blanco, Federico Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

Fil: Bigi, Fabiana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; Argentina

Fil: Bigi, Fabiana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

Fil: Zumarraga, Martin Jose. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; Argentina

Fil: Zumarraga, Martin Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

Fil: Cataldi, Angel Adrian. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; Argentina

Fil: Cataldi, Angel Adrian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

Fil: Eirin, Maria Emilia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; Argentina

Fil: Eirin, Maria Emilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina