METABOLIC RADIOLABELING OF MYCOPLASMA-GALLISEPTICUM ON VERO CELLS ANDRADIOIMMUNOPRECIPITATION ASSAY

A monoclonal antibody (MAb) A2 was produced against a major polypeptid e of Mycoplasma gallisepticum with a molecular mass of 64 kDa. MAb A2 reacted in immunoblot at a titre of 10(4.33) and had a titre of 10(4.5 ) in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In a radioimmunoprecipitati on assay (RIPA) using metabolic [S-35]methionine radiolabelling of M. gallisepticum suspension in Vero cell culture, MAb A2 was able to prec ipitate the 64 kDa protein and another protein of 47 kDa. The present study involving [S-35]methionine labelling of M. gallisepticum in Vero cells represents a novel approach for labelling and characterizing th e conformation-dependent mycoplasmal antigens in a RIPA system.