Viral polypeptides detected by a complement-dependent neutralizing murine monoclonal antibody to human cytomegalovirus

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Abstract
Murine monoclonal antibodies were produced which coimmunoprecipitated, under reducing conditions, 130,000- and 55,000-dalton (Da) polypeptides from cells infected with human cytomegalovirus (CMV) strain AD169. A 92,000-Da species, possibly a biosynthetic intermediate, was also detectable. One of the monoclonal antibodies, 15D8, neutralized CMV AD169 only in the presence of guinea pig complement. A 2nd monoclonal antibody, 14E10, coimmunoprecipitated the 130,000- and 55,000-Da polypeptides but did not neutralize viral infectivity. By sequential immunoprecipitation, both monoclonal antibodies were shown to recognize the same polypeptides. Monoclonal antibody 15D8 detected the 130,000- and 55,000-Da polypeptides in 5 of 6 clinical strains and 3 laboratory strains tested. The 14E10 monoclonal antibody detected the 130,000-Da protein in 4 of 6 CMV clinical isolates and in strain AD169 but did not immunoprecipitate any polypeptides from extracts of cells infected with either Towne or Davis laboratory strains. In kinetic studies, the synthesis of the 130,000-Da polypeptide preceded the appearance of the 55,000-Da polypeptide. In infected cells radiolabeled with a pulse of L-[35S]methionine, the isotope was initially detected in the 130,000-Da polypeptide but could be chased into the 55,000-Da polypeptide. These polypeptides exist in the intracellular and extracellular virus as disulfide-linked multimers. Extracellular virus contained a high-MW (> 200,000 Da) multimer composed entirely of 55,000-Da polypeptides. In extracts from infected cells an additional high-MW multimer was detected consisting of disulfide-linked 130,000-Da polypeptides.