Application of a Rationally Designed Mucosal Nanovaccine Platform in Bacterial Disease Prophylactics Using Fish as a Model Organism

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance necessitates innovative vaccine strategies for bacterial disease prevention in aquaculture. Here, we present a rationally designed mucosal nanovaccine platform targeting Vibrio harveyi, a major pathogen in marine fish. Bioinformatics tools identified 15 T-cell and 16 B-cell epitopes from 17 antigenic proteins, which were consolidated into a multiepitope antigen (MAE). This MAE was fused to the self-assembling ferritin H-subunit (HFn) to form MAE@HFn nanoparticles, further functionalized with PEG2000 (MAE@HFn-PEG 2k ) to enhance mucus penetration. Structural characterization confirmed uniform spherical nanoparticles with high stability and negligible cytotoxicity. In marine fish models (grouper), mucosal administration of MAE@HFn-PEG 2k elicited robust humoral and cellular immune responses, including elevated IgM titers, Th1/Th2 cytokine production, and memory T-cell activation. Notably, this nanovaccine achieved an 86% survival rate post- V. harveyi challenge while overcoming traditional limitations of mucosal delivery, such as poor antigen retention. Mechanistic studies revealed efficient transepithelial transport and enhanced antigen presentation, driven by PEG-mediated mucus evasion and HFn’s multivalent epitope display. This work establishes a scalable, safe, and economically viable nanoplatform for aquatic disease prophylaxis, with broader implications for mucosal vaccine design in other species.