Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #196118
Title: TAMUS CATIONIC PEPTIDES DECREASE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF YOUNG CHICKENS TO SALMONELLA ENTERICA SEROVAR ENTERITIDIS INFECTION BY UP-REGULATION OF THE INNATE IMMUNE RESPONSE

Author
item Kogut, Michael - Mike
item Genovese, Kenneth - Ken
item He, Louis
item JIANG, YEIWEI - TX A&M UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: American Society for Microbiology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/2/2006
Publication Date: 9/9/2006
Citation: Kogut, M.H., Genovese, K.J., He, H., Jiang, Y. 2006. TAMUS cationic peptides decrease susceptibility of young chickens to Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis infection by up-regulation of the innate immune response [abstract]. American Society for Microbiology. p. 43.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The TAMUS cationic peptides are a group of related cationic peptides produced by a Gram-positive bacterium. Cationic amphiphilic peptides have been found to stimulate or prime the innate immune responses in mammals. The innate immune system of poultry is functionally inefficient during the first week posthatch enabling pathogens such as Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) to invade and colonize the visceral organs of these immature birds. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of TAMUS as an immunostimulator of the innate immune response of young chickens. TAMUS was provided as a feed additive at three different concentrations (12, 24, or 48 ppm) for 4 days post-hatch significantly increased protection against SE organ invasion in a concentration-dependent manner. The functional efficiency of heterophils isolated from chickens fed the TAMUS rations at the three concentrations was significantly up-regulated when compared to heterophils isolated from chickens fed a control starter ration as determined with an array of functional assays. Phagocytosis, oxidative burst, and degranulation were all significantly increased in a concentration-dependent manner in heterophils isolated from chickens fed the TAMUS diets. This is the first report of bacterial cationic peptides inducing the up-regulation of the avian innate immune response that provides protection against extraintestinal Salmonella infections. The significance of these data is that the orally delivered cationic peptides stimulate the innate response at a time of immunologic inefficiency and increased susceptibility to bacterial infections (first week posthatch). Because of the non-specific nature of the innate response, we speculate that TAMUS given as a feed additive during the first week posthatch could provide increased protection against a variety of bacterial pathogens.