MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES AGAINST SPORANGIA AND SPORES OF MARTEILIA SP (PROTOZOA, ASCETOSPORA)

Digestive glands of mussels Mytilus edulis from Brittany, France, infe cted with Marteilia sp. (Ascetospora) were used to purify the parasite . A modification of a previously used purification protocol increased purification efficiency, permitting sporangial primordia and sporangia of Marteilia sp. to be obtained. Mouse (Balb/c) monoclonal antibodies were generated against this parasite. From the fusion, 26 monoclonal antibodies against Marteilia sp. were obtained. Antibodies from 6 clon es reacted only with Marteilia sp. cells and not with normal host tiss ues. Four of these antibodies (1/1-3, 3/1-1, 4/1-1 and 6/2-3) reacted with the sporangia wall and two with the spore cytoplasm (9/1-1 and 12 /5-1). Antibodies cross-reacted with Marteilia refringens from Mytilus galloprovincialis obtained in the Ria de Vigo, Spain.