Antigens related to three core proteins of HTLV-I (p24, p19 and p15) and their intracellular localizations, as defined by monoclonal antibodies.

Three distinct monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for human T-cell leukemia virus type-I (HTLV-I) core proteins with molecular weights of 24 kDa (p24), p19 or p15 were produced, characterized and compared. These antibodies were named NOR-1 (anti-p24, IgG2a), GIN-7 (anti-p19, IgG2b) and FR-45 (anti-p15, IgG2a). Immunofluorescence assay showed that they reacted specifically with methanol-fixed cells of virus-bearing cell lines, and that only GIN-7 bound, albeit weakly, to the surface of a small percentage of viable cells. Like natural antibodies to HTLV-I in human serum, GIN-7 stained the fixed cells brightly and diffusely, and gave more intense fluorescence than NOR-1 and FR-45, which stained restricted areas of the cells. NOR-1, GIN-7 and FR-45 specifically precipitated core proteins p24, p19 and p15, respectively, from a lysate of HTLV-IMT-2 labelled with 35S-cysteine. NOR-1 precipitated p53, p36, and p24, GIN-7 precipitated p53, p32, p28 and p19, and FR-45 precipitated p53, p36, and p15 from a lysate of 35S-cysteine-labelled MT-2 cells. GIN-7 also precipitated p32, p28 and p19 from a lysate of MT-2 cells, labelled by surface iodination, but NOR-1 and FR-45 did not detect any proteins in this lysate. GIN-7 also detected p28 in 3H-glucosamine-labelled MT-2 cells. Antibody binding competition assay showed that the sera of ATL patients significantly interfered with the binding of NOR-1 and GIN-7 but not with that of FR-45, to antigens of disrupted virus of MT-2 cells. This complete set of MAbs against the HTLV-I gag gene products is useful for biological and functional studies of the HTLV-I core proteins.