CHARACTERIZATION OF MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES SPECIFIC TO SEF-21 FIMBRIAEOF SALMONELLA-ENTERITIDIS AND THEIR REACTIVITY WITH OTHER SALMONELLAEAND ENTEROBACTERIA

A panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific to type 1 (SEF 21) fi mbriae of S. enteritidis was produced using crude and HPLC purified pr eparations of SEF 21 fimbriae. Sixteen mAbs were selected by indirect ELISA using both purified SEF 21 antigen and whole cells of S. enterit idis. Eight mAbs were confirmed by immunoprecipitation assay to react specifically with SEF 21 fimbriae. These mAbs were further characteris ed for their reactivity patterns by the ''whole cell'' ELISA and the l atex agglutination test with a number of strains of Salmonella and oth er enterobacteria. Not all SEF 21 mAbs reacted in both ELISA and latex agglutination tests with whole bacterial cells. mAb 611 was the only one suitable for use in both tests. Unexpectedly these mAbs reacted wi th the type 1 fimbriae of many of the tested strains of enterobacteria . mAb 721 reacted with most strains of Salmonella (89.1%) and enteroba cteria (71.4%) tested, mAb 611 reacted with 61%-75% of strains of Salm onella and with 6.9%-17.6% of enterobacteria in ELISA and latex tests respectively. These mAbs will be useful reagents for further character isation of type I fimbriae expressed by members of the family Enteroba cteriaceae.