{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T02:51:10Z","timestamp":1760151070627,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,9]],"date-time":"2022-02-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1644364800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Park Service through the Piedmont-South Atlantic Cooperative Ecosystems Unit","award":["(#H5000-08-5050)"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["(#H5000-08-5050)"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Biology"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Little is known about the disease ecology of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), and especially how they respond immunologically to emerging infectious diseases and zoonotic pathogens. In this study, we examined serum samples collected from wild alligators in Florida (2010\u20132011) and South Carolina (2011\u20132012, 2014\u20132017) for antibody responses to multiple bacteria. Immunoglobulin Y (IgY) was purified from serum to generate a mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb AMY-9) specific to the IgY heavy chain. An indirect ELISA was then developed for quantifying antibody responses against whole cell Escherichia coli,Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, Mycobacterium fortuitum, Erysipelothrix rhusiopthiae, and Streptococcus agalactiae. In Florida samples the primary differences in antibody levels were between January\u2013March and late spring through summer and early fall (May-October), most likely reflecting seasonal influences in immune responses. Of note, differences over the months in antibody responses were confined to M. fortuitum, E. rhusiopthiae, V. vulnificus, and E. coli. Robust antibody responses in SC samples were observed in 2011, 2014, and 2015 against each bacterium except E. coli. All antibody responses were low in 2016 and 2017. Some of the highest antibody responses were against V. parahaemolyticus, M. fortuitum, and E. rhusiopthiae. One SC alligator estimated to be 70+ years old exhibited the highest measured antibody response against V. parahaemolyticus and M. fortuitum. By combining data from both sites, we show a clear correlation between body-mass-indices (BMI) and antibody titers in all six of the bacteria examined. Our study provides a critical antibody reagent and a proof-of-concept approach for studying the disease ecology of alligators in both the wild and in captivity.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/biology11020269","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,9]],"date-time":"2022-02-09T21:19:06Z","timestamp":1644441546000},"page":"269","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Quantifying Circulating IgY Antibody Responses against Select Opportunistic Bacterial Pathogens and Correlations with Body Condition Factors in Wild American Alligators, Alligator mississippiensis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Bailey M.","family":"Alston","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Thomas R.","family":"Rainwater","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, Georgetown, SC 29440, USA"},{"name":"Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, Clemson University, Georgetown, SC 29440, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Benjamin B.","family":"Parrott","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Jackson, SC 29831, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Philip M.","family":"Wilkinson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, Georgetown, SC 29440, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"John A.","family":"Bowden","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5352-9165","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Charles D.","family":"Rice","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Woodward, A.R., and Elsey, R.M. 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