What antigens on Aeromonas bacteria are immunogenic?

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Last updated: September 28, 2025 • View editorial policy

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Immunogenic Antigens on Aeromonas Bacteria

The most important immunogenic antigens on Aeromonas bacteria are the outer membrane proteins (OMPs), particularly Aha1 and OmpW, which have demonstrated significant protective efficacy against Aeromonas infections. 1

Key Immunogenic Antigens on Aeromonas

Outer Membrane Proteins (OMPs)

  • Aha1: A 57-kDa adhesin protein with high immunoreactivity that provides protective efficacy (52% survival rate) against A. hydrophila infection 1
  • OmpW: An adhesin protein that demonstrates even higher protective efficacy (71% survival rate) against A. hydrophila infection 1
  • 23-kDa polypeptide (GPIID2): Shows superior lymphoproliferative ability compared to other fractionated antigens and crude OMP 2

Extracellular Products (ECPs)

  • ECPs secreted by Aeromonas during growth and reproduction serve as effective protective antigens
  • In koi fish, ECPs from A. veronii have demonstrated 75% relative percent survival (RPS) when used as vaccine components 3
  • ECPs contain various enzymes including protease, lipase, amylase, and hemolyase that contribute to pathogenicity but also immunogenicity 3

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)

  • Antigenically distinct LPS is expressed under in vivo conditions
  • Antibodies against in vivo-grown cells recognize both typical LPS and the unique LPS variants expressed under different growth conditions 4
  • LPS is resistant to proteinase K treatment, distinguishing it from protein antigens 4

Immunological Response to Aeromonas Antigens

Antibody Production

  • Immunization with Aeromonas antigens triggers detectable antibody responses within 1 week
  • Peak antibody response typically occurs at 4 weeks post-immunization 5
  • Antibody levels persist for up to 10 weeks post-immunization, though they begin declining after 8 weeks 5

Mixed Antigen Effectiveness

  • Combination of antigens from multiple bacterial species (including A. hydrophila) does not compromise the specific immune response to individual components 5
  • Mixed bacterial antigens can provide comparable protection to single-strain immunization 5

Practical Applications in Vaccine Development

Current Vaccine Approaches

  • Recombinant protein vaccines using purified OMPs show promising results in fish models
  • Formalin-killed cells (FKC) combined with ECPs provide effective protection (50% RPS) 3
  • Novel antigen expression under in vivo conditions suggests that growth environment affects immunogenic properties 4

Diagnostic Applications

  • The 57-kDa OMP polypeptide (GPID2) shows high sero-reactivity, making it suitable for diagnostic applications such as dip-stick ELISA 2
  • Antibodies against in vivo-grown cells are approximately 10 times more sensitive for detecting Aeromonas in infected tissues 4

Considerations for Immunization Strategies

When developing vaccines against Aeromonas species, targeting multiple antigens appears most effective. The combination of OMPs (particularly Aha1 and OmpW) with ECPs provides the most comprehensive protection by stimulating both antibody production and cell-mediated immunity.

For diagnostic purposes, the 57-kDa OMP shows the highest potential due to its superior sero-reactivity compared to crude OMP preparations.

References

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Professional Medical Disclaimer

This information is intended for healthcare professionals. Any medical decision-making should rely on clinical judgment and independently verified information. The content provided herein does not replace professional discretion and should be considered supplementary to established clinical guidelines. Healthcare providers should verify all information against primary literature and current practice standards before application in patient care. Dr.Oracle assumes no liability for clinical decisions based on this content.

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