The Humoral Response of Channel Catfish to Motile Aeromonad Virulence Factors
Larisa A. Ford; Ronald L. Thune
The S-layer protein and extracellular proteases and hemolysin of the
motile aeromonads may play a role in virulence during epizootics of Motile Aeromonad
Septicemia (MAS). The objective of the present study was to determine the humoral response of
channel catfish to these potential virulence factors. The sera from test fish, survivors of
MAS epizootics in commercial channel catfish ponds, were compared to the sera from control
fish. For this study, commercially raised catfish that had not experienced a reported
outbreak of MAS, and laboratory fish vaccinated with the crude preparation of each virulence
factor were used for controls. Sera from the test fish and control fish were used in
agglutination assays and western blots. The humoral responses to whole cell antigens and
specific virulence factors were recorded.