Characterization of a monoclonal antiody specific for the parasite surface antigen-2 of leishmanie major

The Leishmania major Parasite surface Antigen-2 [PSA-2] is a family of glycoinositol phospholipids anchored glycoprotoins expressed in both promastigotes and amastigotes. Promastigote PSA-2 comprises three polypeptides with approximate molecular weight of 96, 80 and 50 kDa. Amastigote express a distinct but closely PSA-2 polypeptide with molecular weight of 50 kDa. In this study fusion of SP2/0 myeloma cells with immunized mice spleenocytes infected with promastigotes of L. major intraperitoneally resulted to a clone of hybridoma producing a specific antibody that only reacts with L. major parasite surface antigen [PSA-2]. This mAb showed no crossreactivity with either other Leishmania species including L. tropica, L. donovani and L. infantum or recombinant gp63. Western blot analysis of culture supernatant revealed multiple b and s with molecular weight of 50, 58, 80 and 96 kDa only in L. major