CHARACTERIZATION OF ANTIGENICITY AND IMMUNOGENICITY PATTERNS OF NATIVE AND RECOMBINANT ZONA-PELLUCIDA PROTEINS IN THE WHITE-TAILED DEER (OIDOCOILEUS-VIRGINIANUS)
Sm. Skinner et al., CHARACTERIZATION OF ANTIGENICITY AND IMMUNOGENICITY PATTERNS OF NATIVE AND RECOMBINANT ZONA-PELLUCIDA PROTEINS IN THE WHITE-TAILED DEER (OIDOCOILEUS-VIRGINIANUS), Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, 101(2), 1994, pp. 295-303
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.