title: Searching for MHC-restricted anti-viral antibodies: antibodies recognizing the nucleoprotein of influenza virus dominate the serological response of C57BL/6 mice to syngeneic influenza-infected cells.
abstract: An attempt has been made to generate monoclonal antibodies which recognize the same target structures on influenza-infected cells as those seen by cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) receptors. Such antibodies, if they mimicked the T cell receptor specificity, would be expected to be both virus specific and restricted in their binding by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens. Approximately 200 hybridomas from C57BL/6 (H-2b) mice primed and boosted with influenza virus (X-31)-infected EL4 (a C57BL/6 T cell lymphoma) were screened for reactivity on infected and uninfected cells of different MHC haplotypes. Of the 10 hybridoma antibodies which were identified as being reactive with X-31-infected EL4, but not uninfected EL4, all reacted equally well with X-31-infected cells of H-2b, H-2d and H-2k haplotypes, indicating a lack of MHC restriction in their recognition of the infected cells. Unexpectedly, 7 of the 10 monoclonal antibodies were found to react specifically with the purified influenza virus nucleoprotein (NP), a predominant viral antigen in CTL recognition of infected cells. Fluorescence-activated flow cytometry confirmed that these antibodies were able to recognize NP serological determinants on the surface of viable, infected cells, but the anti-NP antibodies were unable to block the lytic activity of an NP-specific CTL clone.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006239:Haplotypes; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000378:metabolism; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000276:immunology; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000954:Antigens, Surface; C048842:NP protein, Influenza A virus; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins