Describeset up an experiment that would determine if protect

Describe/set up an experiment that would determine if protection by rabbits against a bacteria that causes skin infection due to cellular or humoral immunity.

Solution

Pure isolates of the bacteria can be repeatedly injected into gnotobiotic rabbits. The serum and macrophages of rabbits that exhibit protection against the infection can be collected. Demonstration of specific activity of macrophages against the bacteria in a phagocytic assay would prove that the immunity is cellular. Similarly, demonstration of specific, immunological reactions (such as Agar Gel Precipitation Test) between the serum and the soluble antigenic fractions of the bacterium (surface proteins, outer membrane proteins, etc.) will prove that the immunity is humoral.