PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MURINE MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES TO SALMONELLA-TYPHIMURIUM K-ANTIGEN

Monoclonal antibodies to S. typhimurium K-antigens representing IgG1 i mmunoglobulins with a ''kappa''-type light chain are prepared and char acterized. They are highly active in indirect enzyme immunoassay with purified K-antigens and whole fixed S. typhimurium cells and virtually do not cross-react with O-antigen of the same bacterial species or wi th E. coli antigenic structures. The kinetics of binding and ability t o agglutinate whole bacterial cells are studied and epitope analysis i s carried out, which shows that antigenic determinants of S. typhimuri um K-antigen qualitatively differ from those of O-antigen of the same bacterium.