Roles of different coli surface antigens of colonization factor antigen II in colonization by and protective immunogenicity of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in rabbits

The roles of the subcomponents of colonization factor antigen II, the coli surface antigens CS1, CS2, and CS3, as colonization factors and protective antigens was studied in a nonligated rabbit intestine model (RITARD). Infection with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) carrying CS3 alone or CS1 plus CS3 induced diarrhea in most (80%) of the rabbits, whereas nonenterotoxigenic strains expressing CS1 or CS2 rarely induced diarrhea. Strains carrying CS1, CS2, or CS3 alone were all shed in stools for a significantly longer period than normal fecal flora-type E. coli. Initial infection with ETEC positive for CS1 plus CS3 induced significant protection against disease caused by reinfection with a highly diarrheagenic dose of the homologous strain; rabbits previously infected with serotype-heterologous, nontoxigenic bacteria carrying CS1 only were also protected against this challenge, whereas no such protection was induced by serogroup-homologous E. coli carrying CS2 only. Animals previously infected with CS1-, CS3-, or CS1-plus-CS3-positive bacteria excreted the CS1-plus-CS3 challenge strain for a significantly shorter period than did "nonimmunized" rabbits, whereas initial infection with bacteria carrying CS2 only did not result in such reduced shedding. Monoclonal antibodies against CS1, CS2, or CS3 all protected against experimental infection with ETEC carrying the corresponding CS factor. These results suggest that all the subcomponents of colonization factor antigen II are colonization factors and may induce anticolonization immunity.