CHARACTERIZATION OF TURKEY SPERMIOPHAGES WITH REGARD TO TRAITS COMMONTO MACROPHAGES

Turkey peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) and spermiophages (SMO) were ass ayed for characteristics of macrophages. The PEC elicited by i.p. inje ction of 3% Sephadex and SMO isolated from semen using Percoll were cu ltured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium supplemented with 20% bovin e calf serum (DMEM-20) for 24 h at 41 C in 5% CO2 to provide adherent cells for assays. Most PEC and SMO showed esl-erase activity (99.3 +/- 0.6 and 98.8 +/- 0.9%, respectively), and exhibited nonspecific phago cytosis of carbon (89.5 +/- 3.6 and 95.3 +/- 0.6%, respectively), zymo san (26.5 +/- 7.6 and 24.3 +/- 2.5%, respectively), bacteria (11.3 +/- 0.8 and 9.3 + 0.3%, respectively), and opsonized and nonopsonized SRB C. Maximum uptake of SRBC was seen by 2 h for PEC but not until 4 h fo r SMO. At time of maximum uptake, SRBC were noted in 35 to 40% of PEC but only in 15 to 20% of SMO. Turkey IgG-FITC bound to both PEC and SM O, but goat anti-turkey IgG-FITC bound only to SMO. Increased nitrite was found in turkey semen after 24 h storage, with highest levels in s amples in which SMO were added. Nitrite production was demonstrated us ing adhered PEG, but SMO could not be tested due to low cell numbers. This research clearly identifies SMO as having macrophage-like activit ies. Accordingly, these cells may possess the ability to process and p resent antigen via histocompatibility receptors. Such activity could l ead to immune directed responses, including antibody production or act ivation of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes.