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Full Scientific Reports |
Correspondence: 1 Corresponding Author: Hendrik Nollens, Marine Mammal Health Program, SACS, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, PO Box 100126, Gainesville, FL 32610, e-mail: NollensH{at}vetmed.ufl.edu
| Abstract |
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Key Words: Antibody dolphin immunoglobulin monoclonal polyclonal serology Tursiops
| Introduction |
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Of all serologic assays, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has emerged as the preferred assay system for determining the presence of specific antibodies in plasma and serum of many species, including cetaceans.2,3,11–15,17 While competitive ELISAs can be applied to multiple host species, species-specific indirect ELISAs (iELISA) are often considered the serodiagnostic method of choice.1,6,12 They are rapid and inexpensive. They do not require live, infectious virus and are easily applied to large numbers of samples and multiple antigens. However, iELISAs require the availability of species-specific anti-immunoglobulin monoclonal antibodies (MAb) or polyclonal antibodies (polyAb). These MAb and polyAb directed against species-specific IgG have a broad range of applications including the development of serologic assays for measuring exposure to infectious agents, immunological research, and establishing diagnoses of immune dysfunction or failure of passive transfer of antibodies.
The relative shortage of validated species-specific anti-immunoglobulin antibodies has been one of the greatest impediments to the use of immunodiagnostic tests in cetacean medicine.1,12 A limited number of MAbs and polyAbs with specificity for bottlenose dolphin IgG have been developed using different protocols.a,2 However, these antibodies are not readily available, and their validity has not always been firmly established. The objectives of the study reported here were 1) to develop mouse MAb and rabbit polyAb with specificity for IgG of bottlenose dolphins and 2) to validate the specificity of these antibodies by demonstrating their ability to detect seroconversion of bottlenose dolphins in response to a vaccine antigen.
| Materials and Methods |
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Purification of Bottlenose Dolphin Igg
Bottlenose dolphin IgG was purified from a 12.65-ml pool of plasma from the 3 dolphins. IgG was purified from the pooled plasma by affinity chromatography using a 5-ml Hi-Trap Protein G column,c following the manufacturer's instructions. The pooled dolphin plasma was diluted 1:6 in 0.01 M phosphate-buffered saline containing 0.02% sodium-azide (PBS/Az) and was loaded onto the column. The diluted plasma was allowed to filter through the protein G matrix 3 times at a flow rate of 3.0 ml/min. Five-milliliter fractions were collected throughout the third chromatographic period, and the protein concentration of each fraction was measured spectrophotometrically. The leading and trailing portions of each peak were pooled separately for evaluation by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). All fractions were concentrated separately using an Ultrafree centrifugal filter device.d The original whole dolphin plasma, the peak representing the IgG-rich fraction, and the column flow-through were subjected to SDS-PAGE (45 min at 200 V) under denaturing conditions, on a precast 10% (wt/vol) polyacrylamide Nupage Novex BisTris gele with morpholinepropanesulfonic acid running buffer. The gel was stained with Simply Blue Safestaine to assess the purity of the eluates (Fig. 1).
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chain, or anti-mouse µ chain. Two supernatants that consistently scored positively were selected for cloning by limiting dilution to yield MAb-producing hybridomas (HL1912 and HL1914). The hybridomas were grown in controlled process serum replacement medium (BD Cell MAb Medium Quantum Yieldi). Monoclonal antibodies were purified from the supernatant by use of protein G affinity chromatography.j The IgG isotype of MAbs HL1912 and HL1914 was determined with a MAb isotyping kitk following the manufacturer's instructions.
Biotinylation of Mabs
The protein concentration of the purified MAbs HL1912 and HL1914 was measured spectrophotometrically at 280 nm. Five milligrams of biotin (sulfosuccinimidyl 6-(biotinamido)hexanoate)l was dissolved in ddH2O. A volume of 31 µl of 5 mg/ml biotin solution was mixed with 1.3 mg of each of the MAbs, and the solution was allowed to stand for 2 hr at room temperature. The mixture was then dialyzed for 48 hr against PBS/Az.
Western Immunoblotting
The specificity of polyAb SB-A9713 and MAbs HL1912 and HL1914 was evaluated by Western immunoblot (Fig. 2). Dolphin plasma at 1:250 dilution (in PBS/Az) was separated electrophoretically under reducing conditions on a precast 10% (wt/vol) polyacrylamide Nupage Novex BisTris gele with morpholinepropanesulfonic acid running buffer. The reduced serum immunoglobulins were electrophoretically transferred to a nitrocellulose sheete with a Novex Western transfer apparatus. Blotting time was 60 min at a constant voltage of 30 V. The nitrocellulose sheet was placed in 5% nonfat dry milk dissolved in PBS/Az to block overnight at room temperature with gentle agitation. The blocked nitrocellulose sheets were washed 3 times for 5 min each in PBS/Az containing 0.05% Tween 20 (PBS-T). Lanes were incubated with SB-A9713 (1:80,000), biotinylated HL1912 (0.05 µg/ml and 0.025 µg/ml) or biotinylated HL1914 (5 µg/ml) (Fig. 2), diluted in PBS/Az. A negative control lane (normal rabbit serum at 1:80,000 or PBS/Az) was included for each of the 3 antibodies. The nitrocellulose sheets were incubated with gentle rocking at room temperature for 1 hr, after which the blot was washed 4 times for 5 min each with PBS/Az containing 0.05% Tween 20. Goat anti-rabbit Ig polyAb (1:2,000 in PBS/Az) and streptavidin-alkaline phosphatasee (1:2,000 in PBS/Az) were used to develop the polyAb and MAb lanes, respectively. The blot was incubated with gentle rocking for 60 min, and after 4 more washes the blot was incubated with substrate buffer (0.1 M Tris HCl, 1 mM MgCl2, pH 8.8) containing 4.4 µl/ml nitroblue tetrazolium chloridem and 3.3 µl/ml 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-inolylphosphate p-toluidine salt.l
Validation of The Mabs and Polyab
An iELISA was developed for the evaluation and validation of the MAb and polyAb. Proprietary ERBac Plus bacterin 65 kDa protein antigen (Ery p65) was kindly provided by Pfizer Animal Health.b A capture monoclonal antibody (ERHU MAb), specific for the 65 kDa ERBac Plus protein antigen was provided by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.n Wells of a high protein binding microplateo were coated with ERHU MAb diluted 1:800 in PBS and were left to adsorb overnight at 4°C. After this and each subsequent step, all wells were washed 3 times with PBS/Az and 0.05% PBS-T using an automated microplate washer. After washing, all wells were blocked with 1% bovine serum albumin (BSA)h in PBS/Az, after which the Ery p65 antigen was applied (1:600 in PBS). The dolphin plasma samples were diluted 1:1,000 in 1% BSA and applied in 3-fold to each of 2 wells. One percent BSA was applied to 6 wells to serve as duplicate negative control wells for the respective antibodies. PolyAb SB-A9713 (1:40,000 in 1% BSA), MAb HL1912 or HL1914 (5 µg/ml, diluted in 1% BSA) were applied as the secondary reagent for the detection of bound dolphin antibodies. Alkaline phosphatase-labeled goat anti-rabbit IgGi (1:1,000 in 1% BSA) was used as tertiary reagent for the detection of bound polyAb, whereas alkaline phosphatase-labeled streptavidinp (1:2,000 in 1% BSA) was used to detect the presence of bound MAbs HL1912 and HL1914. Each step of the ELISA was left to incubate with gentle agitation for 1 hr at approximately 22°C. Finally, 100 µ1 of P-nitrophenyl phosphatei substrate at 1 mg/ml was added. The optical density at 405 nm (OD405) was recorded 30 min after addition of the substrate using a Spectramax 250 microplate reader.q For analysis, the average OD405 of the negative controls were subtracted from the average OD405 readings of all other wells of the corresponding antibody (corrected OD405).
| Results |
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heavy chain and 25 kDa
and
light chains (Fig. 1).
Mabs and Polyab
Primary screening of the fusion products by ELISA revealed 38 hybridomas reactive with dolphin IgG. Ten hybridomas were chosen for further screening via Western blot (Fig. 2). Six of these 10 hybridomas had specificity for the heavy or light chain region of bottlenose dolphin IgG. Hybridomas 1E5 and 4E5 were chosen for cloning on the basis of their rapid cell growth, their IgG isotype, and their respective reactivities with bottlenose dolphin IgG heavy and light chain. PolyAb SB-A9713 was reactive with both the bottlenose dolphin heavy and light chain.
Validation of The Mabs and Polyab
An antibody response to the Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae bacterin was detected in all 3 dolphins using all 3 antibodies (Fig. 3A–C). Circulating anti-Ery p65 antibodies were first detectable in 1 dolphin (FTt0105) 6 days after immunization, and all 3 dolphins uniformly developed anti-Ery p65 antibodies through day 14. At day 14, the strongest antibody increase was measured using MAb HL1912 (respectively, a 2.6-, 7.0-, and 5.2-fold increase in comparison to the initial bleed for FTt0102, FTt0104, and FTt0105). The intensities of the dolphin antibody response measured using MAbs HL1912 and HL1914 appeared similar to each other but distinct from the intensity of the response measured using polyAb SB-A9713 (Fig. 3A–C).
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| Discussion |
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In this study, 1 polyAb and 2 MAbs with specificity for bottlenose dolphin IgG were developed, and their reactivity with bottlenose dolphin antibodies was firmly established by showing the ability of the MAb and polyAb to detect seroconversion of 3 bottlenose dolphins in response to an immunogen. The range of species in which these antibodies can be applied remains to be determined. However, their ability to detect a band on Western blot analysis and to detect seroconversion in an ELISA format does demonstrate that both MAbs and the polyAb can be applied to detect bottlenose dolphin IgG in both Western and ELISA formats. Compared with HL1912 and SB-A9713, the MAb HL1914 did generate a high background signal in the iELISA (initial OD405 = 0.900–1.080). However, HL1914 was retained in this study because of its unique apparent specificity for the immunoglobulin light chain(s) on Western blot. This high background signal in the iELISA may be due to cross-reactivity with the
and
light chains of IgA, D, E, and M molecules, which are not detected using MAb HL1912. HL1914 may still be a useful antibody when used under different assay conditions in other ELISA or Western blot applications.
The main impediment in developing anticetacean IgG antibodies is the validation of the resultant antibodies. The specificity of antibodies can be evaluated in the laboratory using assays such as the ELISA and Western immunoblot. However, the usefulness of the antibodies can only be unequivocally established by demonstrating their ability to detect seroconversion. However, access to marine mammals as study subjects is limited. Free-ranging marine mammals are protected by the legislature, and managers of captive populations are generally hesitant to participate in experimental research. As a result, challenge studies and injections with immunogens are not feasible in cetacean species. The ability of the previously existing anti-dolphin IgG antibodies to detect seroconversion has not yet been unequivocally demonstrated. This study made use of a unique collaboration with an oceanarium in which, first, dolphins were serologically monitored to help evaluate the usefulness of a vaccination program and, second, anti-dolphin IgG antibodies were developed. Thus, this study not only provided useful clinical information on the antibody response of bottlenose dolphins to the antigen, but successfully validated these antibodies for future use in serologic and immunologic assays.
This is also the first published account in which the timing and intensity of the humoral antibody response of bottlenose dolphins to a single-point exposure was recorded. In terrestrial mammals, no antibody is detectable for several days after first exposure to an antigen.14 When antibodies do appear, their level climbs to a peak by 10 to 14 days before declining and disappearing within a few weeks. In the dolphins in this study, circulating antibodies were first detectable 6 days after immunization, and antibody levels appeared to approach peak levels 14 days after immunization. Therefore, the temporal characteristics of the IgG response of bottlenose dolphins appear to be very similar to those of the antibody responses of terrestrial mammals.
| Acknowledgments |
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| Sources and manufacturers |
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a. Bethyl Laboratories, Montgomery, TX. ![]()
b. Pfizer Animal Health, Pizer Inc., New York, NY. ![]()
c. GE Healthcare Bio-sciences Corp., Piscataway, NJ. ![]()
d. Millipore Corp., Billerica, MA. ![]()
e. Invitrogen Corp., Carlsbad, CA. ![]()
f. Strategic Biosolutions, Newark, DE. ![]()
g. Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN. ![]()
h. BD Biossciences, San Jose, CA. ![]()
i. Protein G sepharose fast flow, Pfizer-Pharmacia, Pizer Inc., New York, NY. ![]()
j. Code RPN (Amersham), GE Healthcare Bio-sciences Corp., Piscataway, NJ. ![]()
k. Ultraspec II, LKB Biochrom Ltd., Cambridge, UK. ![]()
l. Immunoselect, Gibco BRL, Gaithersburg, MD. ![]()
m. United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Center for Veterinary Biologics, Ames, IA. ![]()
n. Nunc Maxisorp, Fisher Scientific, Pittsburgh, PA. ![]()
o. Zymed Laboratories, San Francisco, CA. ![]()
p. Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, CA. ![]()
| References |
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H. H. Nollens, C. Ruiz, M. T. Walsh, F. M. D. Gulland, G. Bossart, E. D. Jensen, J. F. McBain, and J. F. X. Wellehan Cross-Reactivity between Immunoglobulin G Antibodies of Whales and Dolphins Correlates with Evolutionary Distance Clin. Vaccine Immunol., October 1, 2008; 15(10): 1547 - 1554. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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