Immunoprophylaxis in fish by injection of mouse antibody genes

Antibodies are a crucial part of the body's specific defense against infect ious diseases and have considerable potential as therapeutic and prophylact ic agents in humans and animals, The development of recombinant single-chai n antibodies allows a genetic application strategy for prevention of infect ious diseases. To test this in a fish model, a gene construct encoding a ne utralizing single-chain antibody to the fish-pathogenic rhabdovirus VHSV (v iral hemorrhagic septicemia virus) was administered to rainbow trout by int ramuscular injection of plasmid DNA, Circulating recombinant antibodies cou ld later be detected in the fish, and protective immunity to the viral dise ase was established.