IDENTIFICATION OF GPCMV INFECTED-CELLS IN-VITRO AND IN-VIVO WITH A MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY

A monoclonal antibody was made which identifies a 160-180 kDa structur al protein in guinea pig cytomegalovirus (GPCMV) infected cells by Wes tern blot using non-reducing conditions. This protein was shown to be a virion structural protein by purification of GPCMV on a density visc osity gradient and Western blot analysis. Phosphoanacetic acid (PAA) e xperiments suggest that the protein is a late GPCMV protein. In vitro the monoclonal antibody labels a cytoplasmic protein in infected guine a pig embryo fibroblasts by 12 h postinfection. The monoclonal antibod y also identifies GPCMV infected cells in vivo in paraffin embedded fo rmalin fixed tissue.