Efficacy of a synthetic peptide Chlamydia pecorum major outer membrane protein vaccine in a wild koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) population

Sarah J. Simpson; Damien P. Higgins; Peter Timms; Valentina S. A. Mella; Mathew S. Crowther; Cristina M. Fernandez; Clare McArthur; Samuel Phillips; Mark B. Krockenberger

doi:10.1038/s41598-023-42296-7

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Efficacy of a synthetic peptide Chlamydia pecorum major outer membrane protein vaccine in a wild koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) population

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Efficacy of a synthetic peptide Chlamydia pecorum major outer membrane protein vaccine in a wild koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) population

Sarah J. Simpson, Damien P. Higgins, Peter Timms, Valentina S. A. Mella, Mathew S. Crowther, Cristina M. Fernandez, Clare McArthur, Samuel Phillips and Mark B. Krockenberger

Scientific Reports, Vol.13(1), pp.1-11

2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-42296-7

PMCID: PMC10497537

PMID: 37699951

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Abstract

Chlamydiosis is a significant disease affecting Eastern Australian koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) populations, impacting individual animal welfare and fecundity and therefore influencing population dynamics. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a synthetic peptide vaccine based on 4 components of the Chlamydia pecorum major outer membrane protein (MOMP), over an 18-month period in a koala population severely impacted by chlamydiosis. Wild koalas were recruited into a vaccination or a placebo treatment group on a random allocation, then followed through a period of 18 months, with recapture at 6 monthly intervals. Vaccination did not alter clinical disease expression or chlamydial shedding from the ocular or urogenital sites. Vaccination did not stimulate a significant plasma anti-MOMP IgG response, when compared to the placebo group. There was no significant effect of vaccination on IFN-γ and IL-17A mRNA expression of peripheral blood lymphocytes when stimulated with rMOMP. We have demonstrated that a synthetic peptide vaccination against chlamydiosis is not an effective management tool in a koala population with a high prevalence of C. pecorum infection and related disease. The lack of antigenic response found in this study suggests that further research utilising a larger, full-length antigen is an avenue worth investigation if we are to consider vaccination as a part of a management strategy in diseased koala populations.

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Title: Efficacy of a synthetic peptide Chlamydia pecorum major outer membrane protein vaccine in a wild koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) population
Authors: Sarah J. Simpson (Corresponding Author) - The University of Sydney
Damien P. Higgins (Author) - The University of Sydney
Peter Timms (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Centre for Bioinnovation
Valentina S. A. Mella (Author) - The University of Sydney
Mathew S. Crowther (Author) - The University of Sydney
Cristina M. Fernandez (Author) - The University of Sydney
Clare McArthur (Author) - The University of Sydney
Samuel Phillips (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Centre for Bioinnovation
Mark B. Krockenberger (Author) - The University of Sydney
Publication details: Scientific Reports, Vol.13(1), pp.1-11
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
Date published: 2023
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42296-7
ISSN: 2045-2322
PMID: 37699951; PMC10497537
Copyright note: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Grant note: KR2019_07 / NSW Government
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Centre for Bioinnovation
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99966894302621
Output Type: Journal article

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