The humoral immune response of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) immunised by various regimes and preparations of Aeromonas salmonicida antigens.

Antibody production in rainbow trout to extracellular antigens was investigated. The following antigen preparations and immunisation regimes were used: native extracellular products (ECP) in Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA), intraperitoneally (i.p.) with and without booster; formalinized ECP in FCA, i.p. with and without booster; washed, formalinized A. salmonicida cells in FCA, i.p., with booster; native ECP in saline, i.m., four weekly injections at two different doses, 45 micrograms and 6 micrograms each injection (after the protocol of Shieh, 1985). Using crossed normal rainbow trout serum, i.p., single injection (after the protocol of Sakai, 1985). Using crossed immunoelectrophoresis all antisera contained precipitating antibodies to three to five ECP components except that from fish immunised i.m. with 6 micrograms protein where antibodies were undetectable. In no case were specific antibodies to ECP protease or haemolysin detected. In a rabbit immunised with formalinized ECP in FCA under a similar regime to the rainbow trout, antibodies to at least 15 ECP components, including protease and haemolysin, were detected. The assumption of a specific immune response to the protease, at least in respect of antibody production, in recent reports of protection afforded by vaccines composed of either crude ECP or partially purified protease (Shieh, 1985) or partially purified protease inactivated by normal serum (Sakai, 1985) is not supported by the present findings.