DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A MURINE MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY REACTIVE WITH A 64 KDA SOMATIC ANTIGEN OF BURKHOLDERIA-CEPACIA

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to Burkholderia cepacia were produced fro m mice immunized with inactivated whole-cell antigen. For screening of resulting MAbs an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used. A stable hybridoma cell line (BC-2) producing specific antibodies to a 64 kDa somatic antigen from B, cepacia was established, In ELISA and immunoblotting analysis the MAb BC-2 recognized all tested strains of B, cepacia whereas no cross-reaction with 32 Pseudomonas aeruginosa s trains was found. From a wide range of other bacteria only strains of the species Burkholderia mallei, Burkholderia pseudomallei, and Burkho lderia gladioli showed cross-reactions. The MAb BC-2 will be used to d evelop a diagnostic assay for the identification of B, cepacia and B. gladioli, important agents of nosocomial infections in immunocompromis ed patients suffering especially from cystic fibrosis (CF).