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Maternal transfer of antibodies induced by infection with Eimeria maxima partially protects chickens against challenge with Eimeria tenella

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

N. C. Smith ,
M. Wallach ,
M. Petracca ,
R. Braun  and
J. Eckert
N. C. Smith
Affiliation:
Institut für Parasitologie, Universität Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 266a, CH-8057, Zürich
M. Wallach
Affiliation:
lnstitut für allgemeine Mikrobiologie, Universität Bern, Baltzerstrasse 4, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland
M. Petracca
Affiliation:
Institut für Parasitologie, Universität Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 266a, CH-8057, Zürich
R. Braun
Affiliation:
lnstitut für allgemeine Mikrobiologie, Universität Bern, Baltzerstrasse 4, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland
J. Eckert
Affiliation:
Institut für Parasitologie, Universität Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 266a, CH-8057, Zürich
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Extract

Infection of breeding hens with Eimeria maxima induces production of Eimeria-specific IgG antibodies which are transferred to hatchlings via the egg yolk and confer a high degree of maternal immunity against homologous challenge and partial immunity to infection with another important species, Eimeria tenella. As an example, in an experiment using hatchlings from eggs collected between days 28 and 39 after infection of the hens with 20 000 sporulated E. maxima oocysts, control chicks (challenged with 100 sporulated oocysts) excreted 6·8±1·2 million (mean±s.e., n = 10) or 5·8±1·2 million (n = 8) oocysts of E. maxima or E. tenella, respectively, compared to 0·9±0·4 million (n = 5) E. maxima oocysts or 2·2±0·4 million (n = 9) E. tenella oocysts excreted by hatchlings of infected hens. This represents an 87% reduction in oocyst excretion with regard to E. maxima and a 62% reduction in oocyst excretion with regard to E. tenella in the progeny of the infected hens. In another experiment, eggs were collected from days 28 to 37 and again from days 114 to 123 after infection of the hens with E. maxima and hatchling oocyst excretion rates were 82% and 62%, respectively, reduced for E. maxima and 43% and 41%, respectively, reduced for E. tenella in the progeny of hens infected with E. maxima compared to the progeny of uninfected hens. ELISA and Western blot analyses of maternally-derived IgG revealed a high degree of cross-reactivity to antigens of E. maxima and E. tenella. Thus, maternally-derived, IgG-mediated cross- resistance to different species of Eimeria occurs in the chicken, most likely as a result of cross-recognition of conserved epitopes or proteins.

Keywords

Eimeria maximaEimeria tenellacross-protectionmaternal immunityIgG antibodiesWestern blottingELISA
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 109 , Issue 5 , December 1994 , pp. 551 - 558
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

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