Immunization of Lambs with Recombinant Myostatin Affects Growth Rates

Immuno-biotechnological methods for increasing the meat productivity of farm animals may be in demand for effective animal husbandry. Currently, recombinant proteins and peptides are increasingly used as antigens for immunization purposes. Previously, we obtained a strain-producer of recombinant myostatin. The protein was developed, purified under denaturing conditions and, in a composition with aluminum hydroxide gel, rMST was used as a vaccine for immunization of four-month-old lambs. The effect of the vaccine administration method on the live weight gain of lambs was investigated. It was shown that onetime subcutaneous multipoint immunization of four-month-old lambs with rMST at a dosage of 1 mg/head in aluminum hydroxide gel as an adjuvant was more effective than intramuscular vaccination in stimulating body weight gain.