AasP autotransporter protein of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae does not protect pigs against homologous challenge

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is a major respiratory pathogen of pigs; current vaccines provide only limited protection. AasP, a subtilisin-like serine protease, is a conserved outer membrane-localised autotransporter protein. We hypothesized that AasP would induce protective immunity and may thus constitute a useful component of a vaccine against A. pleuropneumoniae infection. Here we confirm experimentally that AasP is an antigenic in vivo-expressed protein. In pig protection studies, a detectable specific antibody response was induced in response to recombinant AasP. However, the vaccine was not capable of protecting pigs from colonization, infection or severe clinical disease resulting from challenge with the homologous A. pleuropneumoniae strain.