Production of Polyclonal Antibody against Mycoplasma ovipneumoniaein Rabbits

The objective of this study is the generation of up to 1g rabbit polyclonal antibody in response to membrane protein derived from Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae. M. ovipneumoniae is a respiratory pathogen of domestic sheep, goats, and a special concern in big horn sheep. It causes atypical pneumonia and predisposes animals to other viral and bacterial infections such as Mycoplasma haemolytica which causes secondary pneumonia resulting in death. Membrane protein comprises the attachment organelle of the pathogen. It helps bacteria to attach to the host cells. Our intention is to create rabbit polyclonal antibody to membrane protein. Membrane proteins are believed to be a good diagnostic candidate antigen as it is expressed on the surface of the bacteria and likely is a strong immunogen in the right context. This polyclonal antiserum will be processed, characterized and developed as an immunohistochemistry (IHC) reagent for WSVL. It is hypothesized that this polyclonal serum will be sufficiently sensitive and specific for diagnosis of the pathogen in tissue sections derived from suspect M. ovipneumoniae cases and/or play a useful role in differential diagnosis of other related caprine diseases.