Production and characterisation ofmonoclonal antibodies to an Indian isolate of peste des petits ruminants virus

Nine monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) were produced against an Indian isolate o f peste des petits ruminants (PPR) virus. These Mabs were directed against the nucleo (N) protein and were of IgG1 isotype. The Mabs produced intranuc lear or coarse granular cytoplasmic fluorescence in PPR virus infected Vero cells and did not exhibit any neutralising activity. The Mabs cross-reacte d with five other local isolates of PPR virus in slot blot hybridisation, r adio immunoprecipitation assay (RIPA) and fixed-cell enzyme linked immunoso rbent assay (ELISA). Two of the nine Mabs cross reacted mildly with the vac cine strain of rinderpest (RP) virus in slot blot hybridisation and fixed-c ell ELISA but did not precipitate the N protein of RP virus in RIPA. The N protein specific Mabs will be highly useful in differential diagnosis of PP R from RP. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.