Electrophoretic analysis of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) leucocyte lysates

Thymus, spleen, kidney and peripheral blood leucocyte lysates subjected toSDS-PAGE showed obvious differences in the protein patterns. Thymic lysate patterns showed the presence of a 38 kDa protein which was not present in any of the other samples. It was found that this protein was susceptible to hydrocortisone treatment. Adult thymectomy was found to alter the SDS-PAGE protein patterns from spleen, kidney and peripheral blood leucocyte lysates. In intact fish a 16·5 kDa and a 13·5 kDa protein were present in thymus, spleen, peripheral blood and kidney lysates, but was absent from spleen, peripheral blood and kidney lysates of fish thymectomised 6 months previously.