Major outer membrane proteins from many Campylobacter species cross-react with cholera toxin

We have previously shown that Campylobacter jejuni strains do not produce a functional cholera toxin-like toxin (CTLT) detectable in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell assay. Instead, the 53-kDa molecular weight, major outer membrane protein (OMP), PorA of C. jejuni reacted with cholera toxin (CT) antibody in immunoblot. We extend this observation to other species of Campylobacter including C. coli, C. lari, C. fetus, C. hyointestinalis and C. upsaliensis, in which the common 53-kDa OMP reacted with CT antibody by immunoblot. There were additional reactive bands in C. fetus. As with C. jejuni, this would lead to the erroneous conclusion that these additional species also produce a functional CTLT. However, this common cross-reactive OMP can be explored as a vaccine candidate to prevent campylobacteriosis.