Generation, characterization and cross-reactivities of monoclonal antibodies against the p24 core protein and the gp130 envelope glycoprotein of HIV-2ben.

The purpose of this study was to characterize antigenic determinants on structural polypeptides of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2ben). Therefore, three HIV-2-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the p24 core protein (gag) and one mAb against the gp130 envelope glycoprotein (env) were produced. In addition to p24 the anti-core mAbs recognized the primary translation product of the viral gag gene p55 and an intermediate cleavage product p41. Core mAbs cross-reacted with another HIV-2 isolate (HIV-2rod), and several simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVagm TYO7 and SIVmac), but not with SIVmnd and the HIV-1 isolates investigated (HIV-1han and HIV-1lai). The env mAb cross-reacted with HIV-2rod and SIVmac but not with SIVagm, SIVmnd or HIV-1. In competition assays and with epitope mapping possible binding sites for the mAbs were identified. The processing of HIV-2 core proteins is compared in retrovirus-infected T cell lines and during the expression by recombinant vaccinia virus. Finally, the mAb XIV DC10 which recognized a highly conserved epitope could be useful for an assay to detect HIV-1 and HIV-2 simultaneously. II D8 is the first mAb raised against HIV-2 env glycoprotein.