Bactericidal Antibody Response in the Pacific Hagfish, Eptatretus stoutii

Abstract

The hagfish, Eptatretus stoutii, has been shown to synthesize bactericidal antibodies after injections of gram-negative organisms. These bactericidins could be detected as early as 2 days after the primary injection. Secondary responses were accelerated, although titers were not significantly higher than those reached in the primary response. The bactericidins of hagfish were found to react with other gramnegative enteric bacteria, but not with gram-positive strains. The bactericidins show a lesser degree of specificity and a shorter induction period than other hagfish antibodies or most antibodies induced in higher vertebrates. The bactericidal activity was temperature dependent and could be irreversibly destroyed by heating at 50 C for 20 min. Immune sera were subjected to gel filtration on Sephadex G-200, and bactericidal activity was found to be associated with the excluded peak indicating a high-molecular-weight component. Evidence indicates that inducible immune responses of this bactericidal type represent a primitive capacity which arose before the emergence of vertebrate species. MATERIALS AND METHODS Animals. Adult hagfish., 20 to 45 cm in length, were captured by Rimmon Fay of Pacific Bio-Marine, Venice, Calif., off the coast of Southern California in 160

The primary immune response of brown trout (Salmo trutta) to injection with cellular antigens

“…The results have not always been consistent. In the Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii), Finstad & Good (1966) were unable to obtain a response to S. typhi but Acton et al (1971) with S. typhosa H, demonstrated a primary agglutinin response within 2days. All classes of fish have now been demonstrated to produce agglutinins to Salmonella spp.…”

The immune response in fish: a review

“…The initial failure by to demonstrate antibody forinatioii in the hagfish was corrected by Linthicum & Hildemann (1970) and Acton et al (1969aActon et al ( , 1971a who subsequently observed antibody formation in response to a variety of antigens. Thus Linthicum & Hildemann (1970) demonstrated antibody formation to sheep erythrocytes and Thoenes & Hildemann (I 970) stimulated antibodies to keyhole limpet haemocyanin and sheep erythrocytes.…”

“…Characterization of the hagfish bactericidal antibodies by Acton et al (1971a) showed that they were absorbable by the homologous bacterium and also by heterologous Gram negative organisms. They were not absorbed by Gram positive bacteria.…”

MHC Class I Regulation: The Origin Perspective

“…Jawless lampreys and hagfish constitute the linage that diverged before jawed fish and are grouped in cyclostome taxon [57,58]. As the immediate ancestors of jawed vertebrate, jawless fish have been studied extensively in search for the origin of the adaptive immune system [59][60][61][62][63]. However, none of the components of jawed vertebrate adaptive immunity (immunoglobulins, T cell receptors, recombination activating genes RAG1 and 2, and MHC class I and II molecules) have been identified in this taxon.…”