Fish Disease Laboratory, Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Kochi University, 200 Monobe otsu, Nankoku shi, Kochi 783–8502, Japan.
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The vaccine potential of inactivated E. tarda V-1 strain produced by pressure with French pressure cell (No 5501, OHTAKE Mfg, 941, Tokyo, Japan) was investigated. A major antigen at 37 kDa of E. tarda was obtained by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis. Pressure (PKC) killed E. tarda (600 kgf/cm2 for 5 min) showed enough antigen sustainability with moderate killing activity. Fish immunized with PKC showed no significant differences (P<0.05) with fish immunized with formalin (FKC) and low ampearage electric current (ECKC) in serum agglutination titers, but showed significantly higher bactericidal activity than fish immunized with FKC and ECKC. This study suggests pressure killed E. tarda (PKC) as a new vaccine candidate.
Edwardsiella tarda, bacterial inactivation, pressure killed bacteria, low-ampearage electric current, immunization, agglutination and bactericidal activity
