PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES SPECIFIC FORBOVINE INTERLEUKIN-4

Genetic immunisation is a simple method for producing polyclonal antib odies in mice. By this method, we produced antibodies against bovine i nterleukin-4 (BoIL-4). After a final injection with a recombinant BoIL -4 protein, nine stable hybridoma cell lines were established which se creted monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against this cytokine. Specific bi nding of each of the MAbs to recombinant BoIL-4 produced by Escherichi a coli, baculovirus, and Trypanosoma brucei was demonstrated in an ind irect ELISA and/or in Western blotting. These MAbs recognise the same antigenic region localised in the first 47 amino acids of the mature p rotein. None of them was able to neutralise the biological activity of the BoIL-4 under the conditions tested but one allowed the detection of BolL-4 by flow cytometry. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V, All rights reserved.