Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #64359
Title: ANTIGENIC CHARACTERIZATION OF A BRUCELLA SPECIES ISOLATED FROM A BOTTLENOSEDOLPHIN

Author
item Stevens, Mark
item MILLER, W - NAVAL COMMAND CONTROL

Submitted to: Research Workers in Animal Diseases Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/14/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A new species of Brucella has previously been isolated from an aborted bottlenose dolphin fetus. The proposed name for this bacterium is Brucella delphini. In this study, the antigens of B. delphini were characterized by western blot analysis using either antiserum from the dolphin which aborted or antiserum to other known Brucella species. In initial studies, the dolphin antiserum was reacted with proteins from cell lysates of B. abortus rough strain RB51 to eliminate the detection of dolphin antibody to Brucella lipopolysaccharide in the western blot. This analysis revealed that the dolphin antiserum reacted mostly with a 53 and <20 kDa protein of strain RB51. Subsequent western blot analyses revealed that cattle B. abortus (strain 2308, 19, or RB51) antiserum, sheep B. ovis antiserum, dog B. canis antiserum, and rabbit B. abortus strain RB51 antiserum reacted strongly with a <20 kDa protein from B. delphini. This protein appeared to be the same immunoreactive protein found in strain RB51 because rabbit RB51 antiserum and the dolphin antiserum reacted with an identical <20 kDa protein from either strain RB51 or B. delphini. These results indicate that B. delphini contains a <20 kDa antigenic protein which is shared with other smooth and rough strains of Brucella. This protein may be useful in developing a diagnostic antibody test for determining the prevalence of antibody to Brucella in dolphins and other marine mammals.