Production of monoclonal antibodies specific to Clostridium botulinum type B neurotoxin
Noah, C.W.; Poteet, S.S.; Ramos, N.C.; Perez, J.C.; Huang, S.Y.
Journal - Association of Official Analytical Chemists 78(2): 381-385
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-5756 PMID: 7756853 Document Number: 445281
Four monoclonal antibodies were produced for use in a rapid method to detect Clostridium botulinum type B neurotoxin. Cells of mouse myeloma cell line SP2/0 were fused with splenocytes of immunized BALB/c mice. An immunoblot assay of semipurified commercial neurotoxins of C. botulinum types A, B, C, D, E, and F was used to show specificity. All the monoclonal antibodies reacted with type B neurotoxin but did not cross-react with the other types. The monoclonal antibodies, separately and combined, did not neutralize the toxin in mice, and all showed specificity to the whole neurotoxin molecule and the heavy-chain component by immunoblot. No evidence of specific binding to the hemagglutinin molecule was noted. When tested against concentrated cultured supernatants of C. botulinum types A, B, E, and F, the 4 monoclonal antibodies reacted only against type B strains. They will be incorporated into a rapid assay with other specific monoclonal antibodies to detect C. botulinum neurotoxins from pure cultures or suspect foods.