THE NATURE AND DETECTION OF MYCOPLASMAL IMMUNOGENS

Mycoplasmal infections are important causes of disease in cattle, swin e, sheep, goats and poultry. Vaccination has been shown experimentally to induce protection against challenge with several mycoplasmas, and vaccines have been used to control naturally occurring mycoplasmal dis ease in swine, sheep, goats and poultry. Immune responses to mycoplasm al immunogens have been determined using ELISA and immunoblotting as w ell as other serologic techniques. However, the importance of specific immunogens as virulence factors or putative protective immunogens has generally not been determined. Investigations are underway to determi ne the pathogenic mechanisms and identify important virulence factors involved in mycoplasmal disease. Examples are discussed of investigati ons with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae from our own laboratory. We have uti lized ATP luminometry in attempts to develop better methods for quanti tation of growth of M. hyopneumoniae and competitive ELISA as a potent ial method for in vitro quantitation of specific important immunogens.