Ovalbumin (OVA)

The present book gives a general introduction of ovalbumin which belongs to the serpin family although it lacks any protease inhibitory activity. Ovalbumin provides a major interest for study because its structure provides a model for the structure of the inhibitory serpins. Nowadays, proteins from egg white are typically separated by electrophoresis, ion-exchange chromatography, size exclusion liquid chromatography, ultrafiltration, adsorption, among others. Here, in this book, we have discussed every available method with special emphasize on salt fractionation and gel filtration chromatography. Chicken OVA is a T Cell-dependent antigen commonly used as a model protein for studying antigen-specific immune responses in mice. It is non-toxic and inert and therefore will not cause harm to the animals even if no immune response is induced. Hence, in this book, we have discussed the detailed protocols for the immunization of rat with the ovalbumin, isolation, and quantification of antibodies (IgG) from rat antiserum.