Monoclonal antibodies recognising fimbriae F107 (F18) of an oedema diseasecausing strain of Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli isolated from experimentally induced oedema disease in pig s was used for the isolation and purification of F107 fimbriae. The referen ce strain was probed using membrane DNA hybridisation for the presence of f ed A gene, F107 fimbriae were purified on FPLC and purity was checked on HP LC and SDS PAGE, A protein with major subunit of 18.9 kDa was used for Mabs preparation. Mabs reacted with 18.9 kDa protein previously classified as a major fimbrial subunit and were able to detect F107 fimbriae in immunoelec tron microscopy on the surface of the strains 107/86 and 8872. Other strain s used in this study did not express any fimbriae. Western blot analysis an d F107 ELISA confirmed, that Mabs react with 18.9 kDa subunit whereas strai ns passaged many times in laboratory did not express F107 fimbriae. (C) 199 9 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.