MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES TO MYCOPLASMA-GALLISEPTICUM MEMBRANE-PROTEINS

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were prepared to study the immunogenesis of Mycoplasma gallisepticum. Balb/c mice were immunized with M. gallis epticum immunostimulating complexes and the supernatant of heterokaryo tes screened with M. gallisepticum and closely related M. synoviae as antigens in indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All selected M Abs proved to be M. gallisepticum species-specific when they were test ed against 10 different avian Mycoplasma species. After immunoblotting analysis, five polypeptides were identified with estimated molecular weights of 110,000, 66,000, 64,000, 56,000, and 50,000. Cell membrane localization of the recognized polypeptides was studied by immunoelect ron microscopy. None of the MAbs inhibited the hemagglutinating activi ty of freshly prepared M. gallisepticum. However, one MAb (B3) specifi c for p56 agglutinated the stained M. gallisepticum antigen in the sli de agglutination test. Results seemed to correlate with published info rmation on the protein composition and agglutinating activity of Mycop lasma gallisepticum.