Meeting Abstract
P1.146 Wednesday, Jan. 4 THE GULF KILLIFISH, FUNDULUS GRANDIS, AS A KEY MODEL FOR DETERMING THE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS ON IMMUNE FUNCTION IN GULF OF MEXICO ESTUARINE FISH RICE, C.D.; Clemson University, Clemson SC cdrice@clemson.edu
The Gulf killifish, Fundulus grandis, occupies a key ecological position in high marsh habitats along the entire Gulf of Mexico of USA, with an extended range towards southeastern Florida. As with the Atlantic killifish, Gulf killifish have a small home range fidelity, and thus are confined to local physical and environmental factors. These two killifish are popular models in developmental biology and environmental toxicology. High marsh habitats are subject to highly fluctuating environmental factors, including contaminants, on immune functions that may impact disease susceptibility. A cell-based method was used to generate mAbs against IgM and eosinophilic granular cells (EGC) of F. grandis by immunizing mice with lymphoid cells. F. grandis were immunized with V. anguillarium and bled for immune plasma. Resulting hybridomas were screened for antibodies specific to both cell-surface (B-cells) and plasma IgM. Hybridomas were also screened for mAbs specific only to EGC. This all-at-once approach to mAb production resulted in mAb 2C11 for EGCs, and mAbs D58 & IC9 for IgM heavy and light chains, respectively. Our lab previously generated mAb M24-2 which is specific to pan-fish lysozyme. Together, these mAbs allow for detailed studies on the immunobiology of F. grandis. mAbs D58 and IC9 allow us to co-localize splenic germinal centers and CYP1A (mAb C10-7), and allow us to quantify B-cell #s and distribution, and also allow us to quantify antibody responses. mAbs 2C11 and M24-2 allow us to quantify EGC cells and phagocytes. Moreover, these mAbs are highly cross-reactive with Atlantic killifish, thus extending the use of killifish in environmental immunotoxicology within estuaries of both the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.(NIH R15-ES016905-01; R15-ES010556-01)
