RESUMEN
After immunization of mice with purified hexon (the main capsid antigen) of bovine adenovirus serotype BAV3 we have obtained a set of 16 individual hybridoma clones producing MAb's against BAV3 hexon. All MAb's were shown to belong to immunoglobulin G class. Specificity of the most avid MAb marked B3Hx-1 was tested on a panel of representative hexon antigens from 16 adenovirus serotypes of human and animal origin using several immunoassays. In Western blot analysis the MAb B3Hx-1 reacted only with native (trimeric) form of hexon protein and not with denaturated hexon polypeptide chains. The epitope defined by B3Hx-1 appeared stable against SDS at ambient temperature and against chloramine-promoted iodination. The specificity of the epitope was characterized as almost genus-crossreactive: it was absent from hexons of avian and of bovine subgroup 2 adenovirus serotypes and present in most hexons of bovine, canine, simian and human adenoviruses tested. Within the latter group its expression was weak or absent only for human subgenus C serotypes. Several variants of sandwich-type ELISA were developed using MAb B3Hx-1 and different polyclonal antibodies against hexons of mammalian adenoviruses. The level of hexon detection for different adenovirus serotypes varied in range 10(-9) to 10(-8) g per ml.
