are maternal antibodies really that important patterns in the immunologic development of altricial passerine house sparrows (passer domesticus)母体抗体真的,免疫的重要模式发展晚成雏雀形目鸟房子麻雀(家).pdfVIP

Are Maternal Antibodies Really That Important? Patterns in the Immunologic Development of Altricial Passerine House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) 1 2 1 Marisa O. King *, Jeb P. Owen , Hubert G. Schwabl 1 School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America, 2 Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America Abstract Background: Maternal antibodies are believed to play an integral role in protecting immunologically immature wild- passerines from environmental antigens. This study comprehensively examines the early development of the adaptive immune system in an altricial-developing wild passerine species, the house sparrow (Passer domestics), by characterizing the half-life of maternal antibodies in nestling plasma, the onset of de novo synthesis of endogenous antibodies by nestlings, and the timing of immunological independence, where nestlings rely entirely on their own antibodies for immunologic protection. Methodology/Principal Findings: In an aviary study we vaccinated females against a novel antigen that these birds would not otherwise encounter in their natural environment, and measured both antigen-specific and total antibody concentration in the plasma of females, yolks, and nestlings. We traced the transfer of maternal antibodies from females to nestlings through the yolk and measured catabolisation of maternal antigen-specific antibodies in nestlings during early development. By utilizing measurements of non-specific and specific antibody levels in nestling plasma we were able to calculate the half-life of maternal antibodies in nestling plasma and the time point at which nestling were ca