Open AccessA murine monoclonal antibody exhibiting high species specificity for Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum
Author(s) -
Andrew J. Hamilton,
M.A. Bartholomew,
Lynda Fenelon,
Jose I. Figueroa,
Roderick J. Hay
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of general microbiology/journal of general microbiology
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2059-9323
pISSN - 0022-1287
DOI - 10.1099/00221287-136-2-331
Subject(s) - blastomyces dermatitidis , dimorphic fungus , paracoccidioides brasiliensis , monoclonal antibody , sporothrix schenckii , biology , antigen , microbiology and biotechnology , epitope , histoplasma , paracoccidioidomycosis , virology , antigenicity , cross reactivity , antibody , blastomyces , histoplasma capsulatum , sporotrichosis , blastomycosis , yeast , histoplasmosis , immunology , cross reactions , genetics
A monoclonal antibody (mAb) exhibiting a high degree of species specificity for the yeast phase of the dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum was produced by a modification of the standard mAb production protocol. The technique for generating mAbs involved the use of the immunosuppressive drug cyclophosphamide to diminish the response in mice to immunodominant cross-reactive epitopes. This mAb exhibited clear specificity and did not react by ELISA with the closely related genera Blastomyces, Paracoccidioides and Sporothrix. In Western blots it recognized a linear determinant on a 70-75 kDa molecule in H. capsulatum antigen, with an extremely faint reactivity to antigens of identical molecular mass derived from Sporothrix and Paracoccidioides, and no reactivity against Blastomyces antigen.