Identification of a 68-kilodalton protective protein antigen from Bordetella bronchiseptica

A 68-kilodalton (kd) outer membrane protein antigen of Bordetella bronchiseptica has been identified by using monoclonal antibodies that recognized two nonoverlapping determinants. Antibody BB05 also reacted with homologous proteins from Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis but not with another 12 organisms from various bacterial genera. Passive injection of BB05 antibody protected mice from aerosol infection with B. bronchiseptica as shown by reduced mortality and reduced pathology of turbinate bones. The 68-kd B. bronchiseptica antigen was purified by BB05-based affinity chromatography and evaluated for its potency to immunize mice actively against either intraperitoneal or aerosol challenge with B. bronchiseptica. Immunization with the 68-kd antigen in incomplete Freund adjuvant significantly reduced the levels of mortality in intraperitoneally challenged mice. In the aerosol infection model, injection of the 68-kd antigen with complete or incomplete Freund adjuvant or saponin reduced the bacterial counts in the lungs of infected mice. These results suggest that the 68-kd protein may represent a potential "protective" antigen of B. bronchiseptica.