Production of chicken egg yolk antibody (IgY) against bovine proteoglycan

Abstract

This study was undertaken to examine the immune response of chickens to bovine decorin, which is a proteoglycan bearing a single chain of dermatan sulphate. Three 35-wk-old Single Comb White Leghorn hens were immunized with decorin by intramuscular injection, and eggs produced by each bird were examined by ELISA for anti-decorin antibody activity in the yolk. The antibody activity started to increase 7 d after immunization, rapidly increased and remained relatively constant after 35 d. The polyclonal antibody obtained was then examined by ELISA inhibition assay with samples of bovine decorin treated with and without enzymes. Digestion of decorin with papain to cleave its protein core caused a complete loss in antigenicity, while chondroitinase-ABC treatment to cleave its dermatan sulphate chain showed no appreciable effect. This indicates that the protein core but not the dermatan sulphate chain was recognized by the anti-decorin antibodies. Immunohistochemical staining located the antigen in bovine, porcine and chicken tissues. It is concluded that chickens can efficiently produce specific antibodies to the protein core of bovine decorin.