Rabbit immunoglobulin responses to the flagella, somatic, and protective antigens of a highly protective strain of Clostridium chauvoei.

The immunoglobulin response of rabbits to the flagells (H), somatic (O), and protective antigens of a highly protective strain of Clostridium chauvoei was studied using antisera that had been fractionated by Sephadex G-200 chromatography. The H antigen elicited the characteristic agglutinin response to a protein antigen--early production of 19S globulin followed by persistent 7S globulin production. The O antigen stimulated a transient agglutinin response which was detected in both the 19S and 7S serum fractions. Protective antibody was assayed by passive protection tests in mice. Using these tests the protective activity of the rabbit sera was found to be confined exclusively to the 7S serum fractions. Purified immunoglobulin G, prepared by DEAE-cellulose chromatography of the above sera, was also tested and found to confer considerable passive protection on mice. It is considered that either the protective antigen fails to stimulate an immunoglobulin M response or that immunoglobulin M is relatively ineffective in conferring protection against infection in the mouse passive protection tests.