LOCAL PRODUCTION OF ANTIBODY BY OVINE MAMMARY GLANDS INFUSED WITH SALMONELLA FLAGELLAR ANTIGENS

Abstract

Summary The local and systemic antibody response to a soluble and particulate antigen has been studied following infusion of monomeric or polymeric flagellin into mammary glands of ewes 24 days before parturition. Antibody activity in colostral whey was considerably higher than in serum, with the levels in whey from infused glands significantly higher than from non‐infused glands. There was a rapid decrease in titres in whey during the first few days after parturition. Over the remaining 10 weeks of lactation titres in whey from non‐infused glands were only a fraction of serum levels, but in whey from infused glands they were as high as, or higher than those in serum. This indicated that antibody was locally synthesized in infused glands. Infusion with polymer resulted in a much greater local response than infusion with monomer. Whey and serum samples were fractionated on G‐200 and D.E.A.E. Sephadex and the known immunoglobulins in effluent fractions were identified by immunoelectropboresis. Antibody activity in serum was associated with IgG 1 and IgM. Almost all the antibody activity in colostral and mid‐lactation whey from non‐infused glands was associated with IgG., In whey from infused glands the majority of the antibody activity was associated with an immunoglolobulin analogous to IgA of other species.