ANALYSIS OF THE ANTIBODY-RESPONSE IN ATLANTIC SALMON AGAINST RECOMBINANT VP2 OF INFECTIOUS PANCREATIC NECROSIS VIRUS (IPNV)

An IPNV-specific humoral immune response was demonstrated in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) pre-smelts and in rabbits immunised with purified E. coli-expressed recombinant VP2. In ELISA all anti-rVP2 sera genera lly showed a stronger reaction with rVP2 than with IPNV, except for on e rabbit anti-rVP2 serum that reacted more strongly with IPNV than wit h rVP2. In Western blotting, both anti-rVP2 and anti-IPNV sera reacted well with viral VP2 and rVP2, but all anti-IPNV sera also reacted wit h VP3. IPNV-neutralising antibodies were detected in all tested anti-I PNV sera but not in anti-rVPB sera. However, the anti-rVP2 and anti-IP NV sera had comparable IPNV titre-reduction capacity when immunocomple xes were subtracted from a mix of IPNV and antisera, indicating an ant iviral effect in vivo. (C) 1998 Academic Press.