REACTIVITY OF MOUSE ASCITIC FLUIDS CONTAINING MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES DIRECTED AGAINST ADENOVIRUS HEXON

Abstract

Mouse hybridoma ascites (32) containing hexon-specific monoclonal antibodies were produced using crystallized hexons of human adenovirus (HAV) type 1 as the immunizing and selecting antigen. The reactivity of the ascitic fluids was tested with hexon preparations of 11 different HAV species (serological types) belonging to 4 different subgenera using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and passive hemagglutination (HA) methods. By these methods the 32 hybridoma antibodies showed 4 and 12 distinct reactivity patterns (type of cross-reactions), respectively. In the positive cases significant differences could be detected in the titers of the hybridoma antibodies in both ELISA and HA. Evidently, HAV type 1 hexon-related epitopes are present on a number of heterologous hexons in characteristic (interspecies) combinations for the given heterologous hexon. A gradient of relationship may exist among the antigenic structures of hexons of the different HAV species.