Monoclonal antibodies against simian virus 40 T antigens: evidence for distinct sublcasses of large T antigen and for similarities among nonviral T antigens.

We have isolated three clones of hybrid cells which synthesize antibodies specific for determinants on simian virus 40 (SV40) T antigens. Mouse myeloma NS1 cells were fused with spleen cells from mice that had been immunized with SV40-transformed mouse cells. Hybrid cells were selected in HAT medium and cloned in soft agar. We used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection and quantification of mouse antibodies against SV40 T antigens. Monoclonal antibodies from 3 of the 24 clones that scored as positive in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were verified by immunoprecipitation to be specific for SV40 T antigens. Two clones (7 and 412) produced antibodies that recognized denaturation-sensitive antigenic determinants unique to large T antigen. Antibodies from clone 7 appeared to have a low affinity for large T antigen. Antibodies from clone 412 had a higher affinity for large T antigen but did not recognize a subclass of large T antigen that was recognized by tumor serum. Antibodies of the third clone, clone 122, recognized a denaturation-stable antigenic determinant of the 53,000-dalton mouse nonviral T antigen in SV40-transformed cells. Antibodies from clone 122 also recognized similar (51,000- to 56,000-dalton) nonviral T antigens in SV40-transormed or lytically infected cells from five mammalian species and in four uninfected mouse lines. From these observations, we have concluded that (i) the 94,000-dalton SV40 large T antigen may exist as immunologically distinguishable subclasses, and (ii) the nonviral T antigens of five mammalian species share at least one antigenic determinant.