Immunomodulatory induced by Cathepsin L1 vaccine in sheep infected with Fasciola hepatica.. Ovis aries

Liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) infection is both a welfare and productivity issue in sheep farming. Death can result from acute infection, and deaths are becoming more frequent as anthelmintic resistance increases. New control strategies are desirable, and vaccination is a good option. Previous studies have shown an experimental vaccine based on a F. hepatica protein, cathepsin L1, (rmFhCL1) may be a viable aid to control liver fluke in cattle/sheep, however efficacy is variable. A trial was conducted on sheep immunized with rmFhCL1 following infection with F. hepatica to understand the immune response changes induced by vaccinination at a molecular level . Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated at four different time points for RNA-Seq analysis. Genes differentially expressed between vaccinated and control animals were identified. Their functional roles were studied using in silico methods. Overall design: Four vaccinated and five unvaccinated (control) lambs were used in this study. Blood was collected for all animals at pre-vaccination (Time point 0), pre-infection (Time point 1), one week post infection (Time point 2) and 14 weeks post infection (Time point 3). PBMCs were isolated and RNA extracted. A total of 36 libraries were constructed and sequenced using the Illumina Hiseq 2500 platform.