1
Return

Coated Bacterial Vaccine Platform Overcomes Weak Antigen Immunogenicity: A Functional Approach to GnRH-Based Immunocastration

delete2026-06-17
delete0
PRE
AI
I
Inés Harguindeguy
M
Matías H. Assandri
M
María Antonieta Daza Millone
S
Sebastián F. Cavalitto
M
María de los A. Serradell
G
Gastón E. Ortiz *
DOI:10.1002/biot.70263delete
deleteOriginal
deleteOriginal request for help
deleteShare
deleteSave
Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Immunocastration, a nonsurgical strategy based on active immunization against gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), effectively suppresses steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis. However, peptide vaccines targeting poorly immunogenic antigens such as GnRH often fail to elicit robust adaptive immune responses, requiring adjuvants or carrier proteins. Previously, we introduced Coated Bacterial Vaccines (CBVs), a platform that uses chemically inactivated Gram-positive bacteria to display recombinant antigens fused to the SlpA carboxy-terminal domain (dSLPA) on their surface. This system leverages natural pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) to enhance immunogenicity without additional adjuvants. In this work, we extended the application of the CBVs platform to enhance the immune response against a poorly immunogenic GnRH-based peptide vaccine. GnRH-CBVs were formulated using inactivated Bacillus subtilis var. natto coated with a recombinant GnRH tandem-repeat-dSLPA fusion protein and administered to male BALB/c mice. A chitosan-adjuvanted GnRH-dSLPA formulation served as a positive control. Immunization with GnRH-CBVs could favor a strong Th2-biased humoral response, characterized by predominant IgG1 levels comparable to those achieved with chitosan. The resulting antibodies effectively neutralized endogenous GnRH, reducing steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis and inducing marked testicular histological alterations. These findings support CBVs as a promising strategy to enhance peptide vaccine immunogenicity for veterinary immunocastration.
Keywords:
antigen delivery system
Bacillus subtilis
chitosan
coated bacterial vaccines
gonadotropin-releasing hormone
immunocastration
veterinary bacterial vaccines

Journal

Biotechnology Journal cover
Biotechnology Journal
IF:
3.1
Papers:
3.0K
Citations:
8.0K

Organization

Universidad Nacional de La Plata cover
Universidad Nacional de La Plata
Scholars:
223
Papers: 101
Citations: 4.6K
Cited Papers

Cited Papers

Citing Papers

Citing Papers