Protein expressions and their immunogenicity from Riemerella anatipestifer cultured in iron restriction medium

Riemerella anatipestifer was cultured in both iron restriction media and normal media. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis identified 23 proteins that significantly increased in the iron restriction media. Of them 12 proteins were analyzed with mass spectrography. Nine of 12 proteins belong to 6 different protein families: fibronectin type iii domain protein, secreted subtilase family protein, phosphoglycerate kinase, translation elongation factor, leucine-rich repeat-containing protein, and Galactose-binding domain-like protein. Other 3 proteins were novel with unknown function. Two novel proteins (Riean_1750 and Riean_1752) were expressed in prokaryotic expression systems. The specificities of these 2 novel proteins to R. anatipestifer were confirmed by western-blotting analysis. The ducks immunized with either protein had low mortality challenged by R. anatipestifer, 33.3% and 16.7%, respectively. The ducks developed 100% immunity when immunized with combined Riean_1750 and Riean_1752 proteins. The data suggested 2 novel proteins play important roles in the bacterial survival in the iron restricted environment. They could be used as subunit vaccines of R. anatipestifer.