Characterization of murine monoclonal antibodies directed against the core proteins of human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2.

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) raised against the core proteins of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1; laboratory strain HTLV-IIIB) and HIV-2 (strain ROD) were investigated in a variety of tests, e.g., enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunostaining of Western immunoblots, immunofluorescence, immunoprecipitation, and alkaline phosphatase anti-alkaline phosphatase assay. The MAbs were grouped according to their cross-reactions. Seven HIV-1-specific MAbs reacted exclusively with HIV-1, and five showed cross-reactivity with HIV-2 and simian immunodeficiency virus of macaques in ELISA. Four of the 15 MAbs against HIV-2 reacted only with the HIV-2 protein p26. Six showed cross-reactivity with HIV-1, and five showed a broad reaction with all three viruses. Overlapping 30-amino-acid-long peptides derived from the p24 protein sequence of HIV-1 were used in an epitope-mapping system. Three different immunogenic regions (A, B, and C) could be defined. Specific regions where anti-HIV-1 and -HIV-2 MAbs cross-reacted were mapped with shorter oligopeptides.