The immune response and fertility of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) immunised with porcine zonae pellucidae or recombinant brushtail possum ZP3 protein
| Autor: | Bryan Walters, Janine A. Buist, Karen E. Mate, Carmen A. McCartney, David J. Kay, Anne L. Kitchener, Peter Menkhorst, John C. Rodger |
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| Rok vydání: | 2008 |
| Předmět: |
Infertility
Porcine zona pellucida Swine media_common.quotation_subject Immunology Freund's Adjuvant Immunization Secondary Fertility Biology Antibodies Andrology Epitopes Antigen Pregnancy medicine Immunology and Allergy Animals Zona pellucida Contraception Immunologic Zona Pellucida media_common Immunocontraception Tissue Extracts Egg Proteins Ovary Obstetrics and Gynecology medicine.disease biology.organism_classification Recombinant Proteins medicine.anatomical_structure Reproductive Medicine Antibody Formation biology.protein Brushtail possum Female Antibody Phascolarctidae Infertility Female Epitope Mapping Trichosurus |
| Zdroj: | Journal of reproductive immunology. 82(1) |
| ISSN: | 1872-7603 |
| Popis: | To evaluate the potential contraceptive effect of immunisation with zona pellucida antigens, 50 free-ranging koalas were immunised with either porcine zonae pellucidae (PZP), recombinant brushtail possum ZP3 (recBP-ZP3) or buffer, in complete Freund's adjuvant. A single booster immunisation in incomplete Freund's adjuvant was administered 3–5 months later. Where possible animals were recaptured, reproductive status was assessed and blood was collected at 1–3-month intervals for the next 33 months. Forty-three koalas were recaptured at least three times allowing reliable assessments of their fertility. Fourteen animals were observed never to have a pouch young. Of the remaining 29 animals the reproductive productivity of PZP treated females was reduced compared with control and recBP-ZP3 treated females, in terms of both total number of young produced, and failure to produce further young in females of proven fertility. One month after the initial immunisation, serum antigen-specific antibody titres were higher in animals immunised with PZP or recBP-ZP3 compared to controls, and reached a plateau by 4 months. Antibody against the relevant immunising antigen was also detected in ovarian follicular fluid, uterine fluid and vaginal secretions. Epitope analysis suggested that immune responses other than antibodies directed against the ZP3 amino acid sequence were responsible for mediating infertility. The results demonstrate that the fertility of female koalas can be compromised by immunisation against zona pellucida antigens. However, unlike in the eastern grey kangaroo and the brushtail possum, immunisation with bacterial recombinant brushtail possum ZP3 did not compromise fertility in the koala. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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