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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #120956
Title: ULTRASTRUCTURAL LOCATION OF THE CROSS PROTECTION FACTOR ON IN VIVO AND IN VITRO GROWN PASTEURELLA MULTOCIDA

Author
item RIMLER, RICHARD - USDA/ARS/NADC, AMES, IA
item BROGDEN, KIM

Submitted to: Avian Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/14/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Pasteurella multocida causes a disease in turkeys and chickens called fowl cholera. Live-attenuated vaccines and bacterins of Pasteurella multocida are widely used to control this disease, but fowl cholera continues to pose a major problem to the poultry industry. Of particular interest are bacteria in experimental vaccines that produce an antigen called cross- protection factor (CPF), which protects birds against different serotypes of P. multocida. In this study, we used an antibody to CPF and a Protein A-colloidal gold label (PACG) to identify CPF on the surface of P. multocida. With this technique, CPF could be detected at the bacterial surface and cell periphery on P. multocida in infected turkey liver and P. multocida isolated from infected turkey blood. Pasteurella multocida isolated from infected turkey blood and cultivated in the peptone-based medium did not express CPF consistently; and labeled, extracellular material was seen sloughing from cells and in the spaces between cells. These results correlate with laboratory observations that CPF from P. multocida is associated with membrane fractions. Overall, corollary benefits of this work include an increase in the profitability and international competitiveness of the U. S. poultry industry, a stronger rural economy, and a continued supply of inexpensive, wholesome poultry and poultry products for the American consumer.

Technical Abstract: Pasteurella multocida from infected turkey tissues has an altered cellular morphology and expresses a unique immunogen called cross-protection factor (CPF) that induces immunity to challenge by both homologous and heterologous serotypes. In this study, we used a monoclonal antibody to CPF and Protein A-colloidal gold (PACG) to assess the location of CPF on P. multocida in infected turkey liver, P. multocida isolated from infected turkey blood, and P. multocida isolated from infected turkey blood cultivated in peptone based medium. The morphology of P. multocida in infected turkey liver and isolated from infected turkey blood was typical of that previously described for in vivo cultivated P. multocida; this feature was lost when P. multocida isolated from infected turkey blood was cultivated in semi-defined medium. After incubation with monoclonal antibody and PACG, CPF could be detected at the bacterial surface and cell periphery on P. multocida in infected turkey liver and P. multocida isolated from infected turkey blood. Label was not seen on P. multocida incubated with control monoclonal antibodies. Pasteurella multocida isolated from infected turkey blood and cultivated in the peptone-based medium did not express CPF consistently. In addition, labeled, extra- cellular material was seen sloughing from cells and in the spaces between cells. These results correlate with laboratory observations that CPF from P. multocida from infected turkey tissues is associated with membrane fractions, and P. multocida isolated from infected turkey blood, cultivated in the peptone-based medium, occurs in culture supernatants.