title: Vaccination and immune responses against atypical Aeromonas salmonicida in spotted wolffish (Anarhichas minor Olafsen) juveniles.
abstract: To study the effect of early vaccination, wolffish juveniles of size 50 and 90 mm, respectively, were vaccinated with an oil-adjuvanted atypical A. salmonicida bacterin. Vaccination resulted in significant protection after challenge with the homologous bacterial strain and specific antibody responses were demonstrated against whole bacteria as well as purified A-layer protein and LPS by ELISA and Western blotting but individual variation in immune responses was apparent. The A-protein was the most immunogenic bacterial component. In addition, higher numbers of immunoglobulin producing cells were detected by in situ hybridisation in kidney and spleen of vaccinated fish compared to non-vaccinated fish. Plasma cells were also present in gut and gills in equal numbers irrespective of treatment. No plasma cells were found in the skin. Finally, the frequencies of expressed V(H)families and C(L)isotypes of wolffish immunoglobulins were shown by PCR. The relative expression of the three variable regions of the Ig heavy chain and the three isotypes of the Ig light chain in the spotted wolffish spleen seemed to be unaffected by immunisation with a complex antigen like the A. salmonicida bacterin.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, 9291 Tromsø, Norway. randi.grontvedt@fiskeriforskning.no
authors.forename: Randi Nygaard
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Grøntvedt
authors.forename: Sigrun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Espelid
mesh_terms: D000333:Aeromonas / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D017756:Aquaculture / Q000379:methods; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D010473:Perciformes / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014611:Vaccination / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes