<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> Introduction: Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a leading cause of extraintestinal infection and heavy economic losses. Imparting immunity after vaccination with live attenuated strain vaccination is an ideal strategy for infection control. This study considers an FtsK knockout mutant strain as a candidate. Material and Methods: An FtsK knockout mutant of APEC strain E058 was constructed and the pathogenicity of the mutant and wild-type strains was further evaluated in chickens. Results: The 50% lethal doses of each strain for one-day-old specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens challenged experimentally via trachea were 105.5 and 107.0 colony-forming units (CFU) respectively. Chickens challenged with the wild-type strain exhibited typical signs and lesions of avian colibacillosis, while those inoculated with the mutant strain showed mild pericarditis and pulmonary congestion. The growth rate of the FtsK mutant strain was much slower than the wild-type strain in the heart, spleen, liver, and lung of infected chickens. Conclusion: These results indicated that the APEC FtsK mutant can be attenuated for chickens, and that this mutant has the potential for the development of an APEC vaccine.</abstract>

Introduction: Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a leading cause of extraintestinal infection and heavy economic losses. Imparting immunity after vaccination with live attenuated strain vaccination is an ideal strategy for infection control. This study considers an FtsK knockout mutant strain as a candidate. Material and Methods: An FtsK knockout mutant of APEC strain E058 was constructed and the pathogenicity of the mutant and wild-type strains was further evaluated in chickens. Results: The 50% lethal doses of each strain for one-day-old specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens challenged experimentally via trachea were 105.5 and 107.0 colony-forming units (CFU) respectively. Chickens challenged with the wild-type strain exhibited typical signs and lesions of avian colibacillosis, while those inoculated with the mutant strain showed mild pericarditis and pulmonary congestion. The growth rate of the FtsK mutant strain was much slower than the wild-type strain in the heart, spleen, liver, and lung of infected chickens. Conclusion: These results indicated that the APEC FtsK mutant can be attenuated for chickens, and that this mutant has the potential for the development of an APEC vaccine.

Pathogenicity of FtsK mutant of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli

College of Basic Medicine and Biological Sciences, Medical Department, Soochow University, 215123, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China

Laboratory of Animal Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, People’s Republic of China

Journal of Veterinary Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

{"article-title":"Pathogenicity of FtsK mutant of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli"}

Introduction: Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a leading cause of extraintestinal infection and heavy economic losses. Imparting immunity after...

Pathogenicity of FtsK mutant of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli

Published Online: Apr 29, 2016

Page range: 13 - 18

Received: Oct 01, 2015

Accepted: Feb 23, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/jvetres-2016-0003

Keywords
chickens, Escherichia coli, FtsK, mutant

© 2016

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Pathogenicity of FtsK mutant of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli

Published Online: Apr 29, 2016

Page range: 13 - 18

Received: Oct 01, 2015

Accepted: Feb 23, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/jvetres-2016-0003

Keywordschickens, Escherichia coli, FtsK, mutant

© 2016

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
chickens, Escherichia coli, FtsK, mutant