Production and identification of recombinant proteins of and their use in detection of antibodies in experimentally challenged animals

Antibodies to experimental Salmonella typhimurium challenge in cattle and sheep were assessed by 15 recombinant flagellum proteins. The 15 DNA fragments selected for gene expression were derived from external flagellin, hook, hook-associated protein, and basal body gene domains. Our efforts were focused on characterizing the humoral immune response of Salmonella infected and vaccinated animals and identifying immunodominant antigenic determinants. This communication reports that the 159–261 amino acids of external flagellum (FliCi-1), 285–331 amino acids of hook protein (FlgE-2), and 309–391 amino acids and 440–537 amino acids of hook-associated protein (FlgK-1 and -2) appeared to be the most immunoreactive proteins and were recognized by all of the experimental animal sera tested in this study.