Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against a
classical swine fever virus (CSFV; subgenogroup 11) isolate from Assam,
India were produced and characterized. Four fusions of myeloma
cells (SP2/0Ag) were made with spleenocytes of 8-10 weeks old BALB/C
mice immunized with the
viral antigen. Several
hybridoma clones secreting
antibodies to the
virus were obtained after four fusions, but five
hybridoma clones secreting antibody specific to the
virus could be stabilized. All the mAbs belong to the
IgG2a isotype. Except one, none of the four mAbs showed
cross reaction with bovine viral diarrhoea
virus and
border disease virus (BDV). One mAb showed
cross reaction with BDV. All the four mAbs specific to CSFV showed reactivity with the parental
virus in immunoperoxidase test (IPT) and with a single
protein band (
molecular weight 55 kD approximately) of the
virus in
western blotting. In neutralization
peroxidase linked assay (NPLA) all the mAbs reacted with 13 CSFV local isolates as well as with the
cell culture adapted lapinized
vaccine virus strain belonging to the subgenogroup 11. This is the first
report on
production and characterization of mAbs against CSFV in
India.