PROLIFERATIVE RESPONSES OF SPLENOCYTES FROM WILD AND DOMESTIC NORTHERN BOBWHITES (COLINUS-VIRGINIANUS) TO T-CELL AND B-CELL MITOGENS

Baseline information on the functional responses expected for assays u sed to assess immunocompetence in the Northern bobwhite (Colinus virgi nianus) are largely unavailable. Our primary objective was to develop an in vitro lymphoproliferative response assay for assessing cell-medi ated immunocompetence in the Northern bobwhite. Culture conditions wer e optimised for domestic Northern bobwhites and field tested on spleno cytes from wild-caught quail. Results indicated that increasing cell c oncentration and media volume in culture, as well as decreasing concen trations of serum in media, improved splenocyte responses to Con A sti mulation. Optimum culture conditions were attained with I million cell s per well cultured in 200 mu l of AIM-V serum-free media for 72 h. Fi ve micrograms concanavalin A (Con A) or 2.5 mu g Salmonella typhimuriu m mitogen (STM) per well provided maximum stimulation as measured by H -3-thymidine incorporation. Stimulation indices of splenocyte cultures of wild-caught Northern bobwhites to 5 mu g Con A were approximately four-fold greater than levels observed for domestic quail (P = 0.0055) . Alternatively, stimulation indices of splenocyte cultures obtained f rom wild-caught and domestic Northern bobwhites to 2.5 mu g STM per we ll were not different (P = 0.3938).