Stimulation of adherent cells by addition of purified proteins of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus to trout kidney cell cultures.

Purified proteins of the virus causing viral hemorrhagic septicemia in the trout were added to cultures on semisolid medium of leukocytes obtained from either healthy or immunized rainbow trout. Adherent cells were specifically stimulated by the glycoprotein of the viral spikes and, to a lesser extent, by the nucleoproteins. In contrast, a specific memory response was associated more with the nucleoproteins than with the glycoprotein when leukocytes from trout immunized with the virus were employed. These results suggest the necessity of employing both proteins in subunit vaccination trials and the possibility of using this assay to select the proper epitopes for genetically engineered proteins during subunit vaccine development.