CHARACTERIZATION OF ANTIGENICITY AND IMMUNOGENICITY PATTERNS OF NATIVE AND RECOMBINANT ZONA-PELLUCIDA PROTEINS IN THE WHITE-TAILED DEER (OIDOCOILEUS-VIRGINIANUS)

The effectiveness of zona pellucida antigens in immunizing white-taile d deer to reduce fertility was evaluated by analysing the constituent deer zona pellucida proteins and their immunogenicity. Does were immun ized with porcine zona pellucida antigens. The antibodies were charact erized using immunohistochemical and immunoblot analysis, in which zon a pellucida proteins were separated by one-dimensional and two-dimensi onal PAGE. Deer anti-porcine zona pellucida antibodies were found to r ecognize all the major proteins of: the porcine zona pellucida. These antibodies also recognized several proteins of deer zona pellucida, in dicating that it is possible to break immune tolerance in the deer usi ng such a protocol. The antibodies were also found to recognize peptid es of 55 and 75 kDa that were produced by expressing cDNA clones conta ining antigens of major glycoproteins of rabbit zona pellucida. Furthe rmore, antibodies against rabbit zonae pellucidae recognized antigens in zonae of paraffin-embedded deer ovaries. Taken together, these expe riments demonstrate the crossreactive nature of a number of zona pellu cida epitopes found in deer and in several other species. They also il lustrate the immunogenicity possible in such an immunization protocol, and provide valuable probes for the investigation of follicular devel opment in this and other species.