PREPARATION OF MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES AGAINST MAREKS-DISEASE VIRUS SEROTYPE-1 GLYCOPROTEIN-D EXPRESSED BY A RECOMBINANT BACULOVIRUS

A recombinant baculovirus, the genome of which contains DNA encoding M arek's disease virus serotype 1 (MDV1) homolog of glycoprotein D (gD) of herpes simplex virus under the polyhedrin promoter was constructed and designated rAcMDV1gD. Five monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) which reco gnize the MDV1 homolog of go (MDV1 go) in Spodoptera frugiperda cells infected with rAcMDV1gD were prepared. The MAbs reacted with proteins ranging from 52 to 49 kDa in rAcMDV1gD-infected cell lysates by immuno blot analysis. These molecular weights were coincident with molecular weights predicted from the open reading frame of MDV1 gD. By ELISA add itivity test, the 5 MAbs were divided into 3 groups which seemed to re cognize 3 different epitopes. In addition, all of the 5 MAbs were reac tive with chick embryo fibroblasts (CEFs) expressing MDV1 go. The MAbs are considered to be useful to study the role of MDV1 go in MDV1 infe ction.