Preliminary Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies to Coccidioides immitis

摘要

We have prepared 31 mouse hybridoma lines secreting antibodies which recognize antigens in Coccidioides immitis mycelial lysates, spherules, endospores, spherulin, and endosporulin. In competition enzyme immunoassay (EIA) studies, antibodies from eight hybridoma lines reacted equally well with C. immitis isolates Silveira, Cash, M-11, PW, 46, and Woodville. Seven of the eight antibodies had little reactivity with Aspergillus fumigatus, Blastomyces dermatidis, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Histoplasma capsulatum. Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, or Penicillium sp., but one monoclonal antibody reacted well with three of these fungi. Denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblot analysis resolved seven immunoreactive bands common to two or more morphological forms or soluble extracts of C. immitis. Sera from infected patients contained antibodies which react with at least four of the same bands and several bands not recognized by the monoclonal antibodies. Three monoclonal immunoglobulin M antibodies preferentially recognized endospores.