Production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against Bacteroides forsythus and Wolinella recta.

Hybrid cell lines producing monoclonal antibodies against Bacteroides forsythus or Wolinella recta were generated by fusion of SP2/0 or FO myeloma cells with splenocytes from Balb/c mice immunized with formalinized cells of B. forsythus FDC 331 or W. recta D13a-g, respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and indirect immunofluorescence tests were used to analyze the distribution of the recognized antigens on a panel of 70 strains representing 35 taxa, most of which are members of the oral flora. All monoclonal antibodies--eight against B. forsythus and six against W. recta--proved specific for the immunizing species. Four of the monoclonal antibodies against W. recta recognized antigens expressed by only some of the tested W. recta strains, thus confirming the earlier noted antigenic heterogeneity of this species. Antibody binding patterns consistent with those previously described or distinct for new serogroups could not, however, be observed. Four of the eight anti-B. forsythus monoclonal antibodies bound to only two of the three tested B. forsythus strains. All the remaining monoclonal antibodies detected every strain tested of the respective species against which they were raised. Preliminary results indicated that several of these antibodies should be very useful for the direct identification and quantification of these organisms in subgingival plaque.