Efficient production of chicken egg yolk antibodies against a conserved mammalian protein

The egg yolk of immunized chicken is a rich and inexpensive source of specific polyclonal antibodies. In this paper we show that 20‐30 μg of a highly conserved mammalian protein, as exemplified by proliferating cell nuclear antigen, are sufficient to induce an immune response. Immunoblot analysis revealed that specific antibodies appeared 20 days after immunization, reached a plateau after 30 days, and remained high until at least day 81. A total amount of 4 g immunoglobulin was extracted from 62 eggs of one immunized hen, yielding approximately 130 mg of specific antibodies.— G assmann , M.; T hömmes , P.; W eiser , T.; H übscher , U. Efficient production of chicken egg yolk antibodies against a conserved mammalian protein. FASEB J. 4: 2528‐2532; 1990.