A Chemically Induced Vibrio harveyi Bacterial Ghost Vaccine Confers Enhanced Protection in Turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: is a major bacterial pathogen threatening turbot aquaculture, necessitating the development of more effective vaccines. Bacterial ghosts (BGs), which are empty bacterial envelopes with preserved surface antigens, offer a promising alternative to traditional formaldehyde-killed vaccines that often suffer from reduced immunogenicity. METHODS: by combining the nonionic surfactant NP-40 with sodium hydroxide (NaOH). This NP-40/NaOH combination demonstrated a synergistic lytic effect, halving the minimum inhibitory concentration of NaOH required for complete inactivation. RESULTS: The resulting BGs exhibited intact cellular morphology with transmembrane pores, efficient removal of cytoplasmic contents, and significantly better preservation of lipopolysaccharide structure compared to NaOH-alone treatment. Vaccination trials in turbot demonstrated that the NP-40/NaOH BGs provided the highest relative percent survival (RPS = 58.8%) upon challenge, outperforming both NaOH-alone BGs (RPS = 55.0%) and a traditional formaldehyde-killed vaccine (RPS = 34.8%). The superior protection was correlated with the induction of a more robust and sustained immune response, characterized by significantly higher levels of specific IgM antibodies, elevated lysozyme activity, and increased total serum protein. CONCLUSIONS: This study establishes the NP-40/NaOH protocol as an effective strategy for producing high-quality BGs with enhanced immunogenicity, presenting a potent vaccine candidate for controlling vibriosis in aquaculture.
Source: Vaccines
Authors: Haixiang Lv, Jianye Yang, Ruofan Yu, Qin Liu, Xiaohong Liu
Language: English
Subfield: Immunology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,258
Awards: G4508682302, G5679232317, G842890242
OpenAlex ID: W7125520425