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Infection and Immunity, October 2003, p. 5662-5669, Vol. 71, No. 10
0019-9567/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.71.10.5662-5669.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Oral Immunization of BALB/c Mice with Giardia duodenalis Recombinant Cyst Wall Protein Inhibits Shedding of Cysts

R. Larocque,1 K. Nakagaki,2 P. Lee,1 A. Abdul-Wahid,1 and G. M. Faubert1*

Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Québec, Canada H9X 3V9 ,1 Collaborate Laboratories for Wildlife Health, Gentle, Nippon Jui Chikusan University, Tokyo 180-8602, Japan2

Received 28 April 2003/ Returned for modification 5 June 2003/ Accepted 13 July 2003

The process of encystation is a key step in the Giardia duodenalis life cycle that allows this intestinal protozoan to survive between hosts during person-to-person, animal-to-person, waterborne, or food-borne transmission. The release of cysts from infected persons and animals is the main contributing factor to contamination of the environment. Genes coding for cyst wall proteins (CWPs), which could be used for developing a transmission-blocking vaccine, have been cloned. Since the immunogenicity of recombinant Giardia CWP is unknown, we have investigated the immunogenicity of recombinant CWP2 (rCWP2) and its efficacy in interfering with the phenomenon of encystation taking place in the small bowels of BALB/c mice vaccinated with the recombinant protein. Here we report that the immunization of BALB/c mice with rCWP2 stimulated the immune system in a manner comparable to that for a live infection with Giardia muris cysts. Fecal and serum anti-rCWP2 immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies were detected in the immunized mice. In addition, anti-rCWP2 IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies were detected in the serum. mRNAs coding for Th1 and Th2 types of cytokines were detected in spleen and Peyer's patch cells from immunized mice. When the vaccinated mice were challenged with live cysts, the animals shed fewer cysts. We conclude that rCWP2 is a possible candidate antigen for the development of a transmission-blocking vaccine.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Macdonald Campus, 21 111 Lakeshore Rd., Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Québec, Canada H9X 3V9. Phone: (514) 398-7724. Fax: (514) 398-7857. E-mail: gaetan.faubert{at}mcgill.ca.

Editor: W. A. Petri, Jr.

Infection and Immunity, October 2003, p. 5662-5669, Vol. 71, No. 10
0019-9567/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.71.10.5662-5669.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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