Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (SEZ) has a wide host spectrum, including humans and domestic animals. The SEZ-caused swine streptococcicosis outbreak has occurred in several countries, and the swine-isolated strains usually have specific S. zooepidemicus M-like (szm) gene types. In this study, we found that the production of this specific szm gene (SzM protein) was an effective vaccine candidate. It could provide better protection with a 7-day interval immune procedure than the traditional vaccine strain ST171 and attenuate the strain ΔsezV against swine-isolated hypervirulent SEZ infections. According to this outcome, we developed monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) targeting the variable and conserved regions of this SzM protein, respectively. These McAbs all belong to the IgG1 isotype with a κ type light chain and have opsonophagocytic activity rather than agglutination or complement activation functions. We estimated the protection efficiency of the McAbs with 3 different passive immunotherapy programs. The anti-conserved region McAb can provide effective protection against swine-isolated SEZ infections with only the inconvenient immunotherapy program. It also partially works in preventing infection by other SEZ strains. In contrast, the anti-variable region McAb is only adapted to protect the host against a specific szm type SEZ strain isolated from pigs, but it is flexible for different immunotherapy programs. These data provide further information to guide the development of derived, genetically engineered McAbs that have potential applications in protecting hosts against swine-isolated, hypervirulent SEZ infections in the future. IMPORTANCE The swine-isolated SEZ, with its specific szm gene sequence, has impacted the pig feeding industry in China and North America and has led to serious economic loss. Though the SzM protein of SEZ has been proven to be an effective vaccine in preventing infection, most previous studies focused on horse-isolated strains, which have different szm gene types compared to swine-isolated strains. In this study, we developed the McAbs targeting the conserved and variable regions of this SzM protein from the swine-isolated hypervirulent strains and evaluated their protection efficiency. Our research provided information for the development of chimeric McAbs or other genetically engineered McAbs that have potential applications in protecting pigs against hypervirulent SEZ infections in the future.
Keywords: Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus; SzM protein; immunotherapy; monoclonal antibody; swine streptococcicosis.