Fruit bats produce a wider variety of antibodies compared to mice, although their overall antibody response is weaker, based on recent research.
A new study published on September 24 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Dan Crowley from Cornell University, along with his colleagues, reveals that fruit bats create a more diverse range of antibodies than mice, but their overall antibody responses are weaker.
Bats are recognized as key sources of viruses that have the potential to cause pandemics. These viruses often do not harm bats but can be fatal to humans. Events where these viruses leap from bats to humans are called spillover events, which can be influenced by environmental factors such as food scarcity, potentially affecting immune system responses.
Previous studies indicated that bats usually demonstrate weaker antibody responses to viruses than other mammals; however, those studies involved viruses that had co-evolved with bats. Gaining insight into how bat immune systems function, particularly their antibody responses to well-known antigens, is essential for understanding conditions that lead to spillover events and for developing prevention strategies.
In this research, scientists exposed fruit bats and mice to recognized antigens. They discovered that the bats produced a varied but weaker antibody response compared to the mice. The specific antigens used aimed to trigger particular immune responses, which sheds some light on the mechanisms of the bat’s immune response, opening avenues for further research.
The team also examined how dietary changes influenced the bats’ antibody reactions to an influenza A-like virus and a modified Nipah virus. Interestingly, fruit bats on a fruit-only diet exhibited a stronger antibody response—evidenced by higher antibody levels and more effective binding antibodies—than those on a protein-enhanced diet.
This study highlights that while fruit bats’ antibody responses are not as strong as those of mice, dietary adjustments can enhance their immune response. Future research could determine if these findings apply to other bat species as well.
The authors conclude, “Bats, recognized as carriers of zoonotic viruses, tend to show weak antibody responses to infections. Our findings indicate that modifying the dietary protein intake of Jamaican fruit bats can improve their antibody response to specific viruses.”
