Quantitation of antibody secreting cells in high and low antibody responder inbred carp (Cyprinus carpioL.) strains

Four inbred carp strains were obtained by gynogenetic reproduction of gynogenetic fish previously selected as high or low responders on the basis of their primary serum antibody production to DNP-KLH. Fish of all four strains were immunised with this antigen, and the production of antibody secreting cells (ASC) was examined using the ELISPOT assay. Although, in general, the numbers of ASC determined the subsequent serum antibody response, high- versus low-responder differences were most obvious comparing numbers of ASC, and not serum antibody titres. High-responder carp strains produced 1·5 to 2-fold higher numbers of specific ASC, compared with low-responder carp, both after primary and after secondary immunisation. Between-individual variation, within the inbred strains, was strongly reduced, compared with outbred carp.