Lymphocyte Deficiency Induced by Sublethal Irradiation in .

In many studies of diseases affecting amphibians, it is important to determine to what extent lymphocyte-mediated defenses are involved. For example, in studies of the nature of the immune response of to the amphibian chytrid fungus, , it was essential to determine if mucosal antimicrobial peptides or lymphocyte-mediated immunity was most important for resistance to this skin pathogen. In this protocol, we describe a method for sublethal irradiation to reduce lymphocyte numbers. Briefly, adults or tadpoles are exposed to 9 Gy (900 rads) of irradiation applied by exposure to a cesium source or gamma irradiator to reduce lymphocyte populations in the spleen.