Plant-synthesized E. coli CFA/I fimbrial protein protects Caco-2 cells from bacterial attachment

A DNA fragment encoding the cholera toxin A2 subunit (CTA2) linked to the enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) colony forming fimbrial antigen CFA/I was inserted into a plant expression vector containing the cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) fused to the rotavirus enterotoxin 22 amino acid epitope NSP422. Anti-CFA/I antibodies recognized a single band of approximately 72-kDa in transformed potato tuber tissue consistent with CFA/I-CTA2 and CTB-NSP4 fusion protein assembly into a cholera holotoxin-like structure. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (GM1 ELISA) indicated that the CFA/I-CTA2 fusion protein bound specific GM1 ganglioside membrane receptors and made up approximately 0.002% of the total soluble tuber protein. Oral immunization of BALB/c mice with transformed tuber tissues generated anti-CFA/I serum and intestinal IgG and IgA secretory antibodies. Attachment of ETEC H10407 to enterocyte-like Caco-2 human colon carcinoma cells incubated with antiserum from immunized mice was reduced by 15% in comparison with Caco-2 cells incubated with serum from unimmunized mice. Immunogold staining of bacterial preparations revealed deposition of gold particles on E. coli H10407 fimbria incubated with immune serum but not on fimbria treated with sera from unimmunized mice demonstrating the specificity of antibodies in the immune serum for binding to CFA/I protein containing fimbria. The protection against toxic E. coli binding to Caco-2 cells generated by antisera from mice immunized with plant-synthesized CFA/I antigen demonstrates the feasibility of plant-based multi-component vaccine protection against enterotoxigenic E. coli, rotavirus and cholera, three enteric diseases that together exert the highest levels of child morbidity and mortality in economically emerging countries.