INVESTIGATION OF THE POULTRY IDIOTYPIC NETWORK USING PASTEURELLA-MULTOCIDA

The idiotypic network in leghorn laying hens was investigated by inocu lating hens with a 35.5 kD outer membrane protein of Pasteurella multo cida (Pm 35.5), Pm 35.5 idiotype (Id), or Pm 35.5 anti-Id. Egg yolks w ere analyzed for the presence of Id, anti-Id, or anti-anti-Id. Anti-Pm 35.5 antibodies (Id) were not titered to an end-point but were presen t in high concentrations. The presence of anti-Id antibody in yolk was demonstrated by the inhibition of Pm 35.5 binding to Id by anti-Id us ing a flow microsphere inhibition immunoassay. Inhibition of Pm 35.5 b inding to Id caused by different anti-Id preparations ranges from 51.5 to 56.1%. Not all of the anti-Id bound to a paratope-associated Id, s ince 8.3-12.8% of the fluoresceinated anti-Id bound to Id-coated beads in the presence of excess Pm 35.5. We confirmed that a portion of the anti-Id antibodies was an internal image of the Pm 35.5 Id and could mimic antigen by demonstrating that anti-Id inoculated in naive hens c aused the synthesis of anti-anti-Id antibodies that bound to Pm 35.5 i n enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Monoclonal anti-Id antibodies wer e also capable of inhibiting Pm 35.5 binding to Pm 35.5 Id coated micr ospheres and inducing anti-anti-Id antibodies in BALB/cJ mice that rea cted with the original antigen, Pm 35.5. Our investigation has also sh own that idiotypic antibodies to P. multocida were transferred from ch icken to egg.