ANTIBODIES TO OUTER-MEMBRANE PROTEINS OF VIBRIO-CHOLERAE INDUCE PROTECTION BY INHIBITION OF INTESTINAL COLONIZATION OF VIBRIOS

An antiserum was raised against the outer membrane (OM) preparation of a Vibrio cholerae 01 strain (Classical, Ogawa) and rendered specific for the outer membrane proteins (OMPs) by absorption with its lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The anti-OMP serum showed reactivity against OM preparations of other 01 and non-01 V. cholerae strains in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The antiserum also induced significant protection against V cholerae challenge in the suckling mouse model. This protection was found to be independent of biotype, serotype as well as serovar of the challenge organism and was demonstrable even at subagglutinating dilutions of antiserum. The Fab (IgG) fragment, prepared from the anti-OMP serum, also induced passive protection in similar experiments. Further studies demonstrated that the anti-OMP serum as well as its Fab (IgG) fragment markedly inhibited the intestinal colonization of a highly colonizing V. cholerae 01 strain A17 (El Tor, Ogawa). These results highlight the importance of V cholerae OMPs in immunoprophylaxis against cholera.