ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MOUSE MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES REACTIVE WITH SOFT TICK (ACARI, ARGASIDAE) SALIVARY ANTIGENS OF HIGH-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT

The purpose of this study was to immunologically characterize soft tic k salivary antigens. BALB/c mice hyperimmunized with salivary gland ex tract prepared from Ornithodoros talaje (Guerin-Meneville) were observ ed to develop high titers of antitick salivary antigen antibodies. Sub sequent fusion of splenic lymphocytes from the hyperimmunized mice wit h SP-2/0-AG14 myeloma cells resulted in the production of 10 antitick IgM-producing hybridoma clones. Partial characterization of the respec tive tick antigens by gel filtration and SDS-PACE demonstrated all 10 monoclonal antitick antibodies to be reactive with a salivary gland ex tract fraction containing proteins 50-110 kDa in molecular weight. Cro ss-reactivity assays and electrophoretic comparison of salivary gland extract specimens demonstrated similar proteins in several ixodid tick genera and species.