PRODUCTION OF MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES AGAINST EXCRETORY-SECRETORY PRODUCTS OF ADULT MALE ONCHOCERCA-GIBSONI

Nine monoclonal antibodies (mabs) have been produced against excretory -secretory products (ES) of adult male Onchocerca gibsoni. These mabs fail to interact with the highly cross-reactive phosphorylcholine (PC) group and with ES of the related rodent filarial parasites Acanthoche ilonema viteae and Litomosoides carinii. Eight of the mabs are of the IgG isotype; 1 is an IgM. Three of the mabs, OGMES 4, 9, and 10, were each found by immunoprecipitation/SDS-PAGE analysis of [H-3] leucine-l abeled ES, to recognize a triplet of polypeptides of molecular weight 120, similar to 210, and similar to 260 kDa. No recognition was observ ed by any mab when [H-3] glucosamine was employed as the radiolabel fo r ES. Western blotting employing [I-125] as indicator system demonstra ted that OGMES 7 recognized a molecule of 27 kDa, and OGMES 1, a molec ule of similar to 210 kDa, albeit faintly. These mabs may be of value to researchers working on the isolation, characterization, and detecti on in the bloodstream of Onchocerca volvulus ES.