Antigen specificity of antibody responses to Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in naturally infected sheep with caseous lymphadenitis.

Constituents of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Analysis of sonicated whole bacterial cells and ether-extracted cells revealed more than 35 bands in silver-stained gels. SDS-PAGE analysis of concentrated culture filtrates with exotoxin activity demonstrated more than 15 bands. Sera from sheep with C. pseudotuberculosis-induced disease of variable severity were used to probe immunoblots of electrophoresed ether-extracted cells and culture filtrates. Twenty or more corynebacterial molecules, ranging in molecular weight from 20 to 112 kDa, in ether-extracted cells were recognized by antibodies in the sera of naturally exposed sheep with positive ELISA titers. These sera also recognized up to six molecules, ranging from, 20 to 68.1 kDa, on immunoblots of ammonium sulfate-concentrated culture filtrate. There was no apparent relationship between the stage of disease and the response to specific corynebacterial antigens in these animals.