Generation and characterization of monoclonal antibodies to adenovirus.

Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) were generated following immunization of Balb/C mice with adenovirus type 5 grown in Hep2 cell line. Six clones reactive to hexon antigen of the virus were stabilized, of which 4 had mu-heavy chain specificity and 2 were of gamma-heavy chain type. Three of the clones (ADV-1, ADV-3 and ADV-5) had a high ELISA reactivity to the hexon antigen but exhibited differential specificity to the adenovirus types tested. In Western blotting, ADV-1 and ADV-3 reacted with all the adenovirus types tested (types 3,4,5,7 and 8) with reactions at 116 kDa region (hexon antigen), in addition, ADV-3 also had reactivity at 80 kDa region, the penton antigen. Reactivity to these adenoviral types by the 2 MoAbs was demonstrable by dot ELISA. ADV-5 had a type specific reaction only to adenovirus type 5 in dot ELISA with specificity in the hexon region in Western blotting. The reactivity of these 3 clones was not observed to the normal Hep2 tissue culture antigens and to the 3 enteroviruses tested (polio, coxsackie A9 and echo 4).