PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MONOCL ONAL-ANTIBODIES TO GLYCOPROTEIN-GII OF AUJESZKYS-DISEASE VIRUS AND THEIR USE FOR GII EPITOPE MAPPING

A panel of 24 different monoclonal antibodies (MAB) to Aujeszky's dise ase virus (ADV) proteins was prepared. Seven MABs were directed to ADV glycoprotein GII (6 MABs to GIIc chain and 1 MAB to GIIb chain). GII epitope mapping with the resultant MABs was carried out. Four ADV GII epitopes were detected: epitopes A, B, and C located on GIIc chain and epitope D located on GIIb chain. Epitope B overlaps epitopes A and C which do not overlap each other, epitope D does not overlap other epit opes. Epitopes A, B, and C are located in a restricted area of GIIc ch ain which seems to be one of GII immunodominant regions. The detected epitopes are mainly conformational, for they are sensitive to denatura tion. Of all MABs obtained more than 30% were directed to ADV GII. Thi s indicates that GII is one of the most important ADV antigens. All th e seven MABs to GII interacted with all tested ADV strains (K. Arsky, VGNKI, BUK, and NIA-4), this being in line with the data on a highly c onservative nature of ADV GII.