COMPARISON OF RABBIT MONOSPECIFIC ANTIBRUCELLA ANTISERA WITH MOUSE ANTIBRUCELLA MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES

Brucella abortus biovars 1-7 and 9 were agglutinated with dilutions of rabbit monospecific antisera (cross-absorbed and specific either for ''A'' or ''M'' antigens) or mouse monoclonal antibodies (not cross-abs orbed, YsT9-3 with ''A'' specificity for B. abortus 1119-3 O-polysacch aride [OPS], and Bm-15 with ''M'' specificity for B. melitensis 16M OP S). Observed similarities were that both rabbit anti-''A'' antiserum a nd mouse monoclonal YsT9-3 antibody agglutinated biovars 1-3 and 6 but not biovars 4, 5 and 9. Also, rabbit anti-''M'' antiserum agglutinate d only biovars 4, 5, 7 and 9 while mouse monoclonal Bm-15 antibody, wh ich at the higher concentrations it agglutinated the other biovars, at the lower concentrations it agglutinated these same biovars. Differen ces, aside from the stronger agglutination reactions for the monoclona l antibodies, were that rabbit anti-''A'' antiserum recognized an ''A' ' antigen on B. abortus biovar 7 whereas mouse monoclonal YsT9-3 antib ody did not. Also, as noted previously, high concentrations of mouse m onoclonal Bm-15 antibody agglutinated B. abortus ''A'' biovars 1, 2, 3 and 6 whereas rabbit anti-''M'' antisera did not.