Recombinant Limosilactobacillus (Lactobacillus) delivering nanobodies
against Clostridium perfringens NetB and alpha toxin confers potential
protection from necrotic enteritis
Abstract
Necrotic enteritis (NE), caused by Clostridium perfringens, is an
intestinal disease with devastating economic losses to the poultry
industry. NE is a complex disease and predisposing factors that
compromise gut integrity are required to facilitate C. perfringens
proliferation and toxin production. NE is also characterized by drastic
shifts in gut microbiota; C. perfringens is negatively correlated with
Lactobacilli. Vaccines are only partially effective against NE and
antibiotics suffer from the concern of resistance development. These
strategies address only some aspects of NE pathogenesis. Thus, there is
an urgent need for alternative strategies that address multiple aspects
of NE biology. Here, we developed Limosilactobacillus (Lactobacillus)
reuteri vectors for in situ delivery of nanobodies against NetB and α
toxin, two key toxins associated with NE pathophysiology. We generated
nanobodies and showed that these nanobodies neutralize NetB and α toxin.
We selected L. reuteri vector strains with intrinsic benefits and
demonstrated that these strains inhibit C. perfringens and secrete over
130 metabolites, some of which play a key role in maintaining gut
health. Recombinant L. reuteri strains efficiently secreted nanobodies
and these nanobodies neutralized NetB. The recombinant strains were
genetically and phenotypically stable over 480 generations and showed
persistent colonization in chickens. A two-dose in ovo and drinking
water administration of recombinant L. reuteri strains protected
chickens from NE-associated mortality. These results provide
proof-of-concept data for using L. reuteri as a live vector for delivery
of nanobodies with broad applicability to other targets and highlight
the potential synergistic effects of vector strains and nanobodies for
addressing complex diseases such as NE.