Production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies specific for Bacteroides gingivalis

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Abstract
With the aim of producing specific serological reagents for a direct quantitative evaluation of clinical plaque samples, 12 hybrid cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies specific for Bacteroides gingivalis, were raised. The specificity of the antibodies was established by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays and by indirect immunofluorescence tests involving a panel of 65 strains from 32 species, most of which have an oral habitat. When analysed for different reactivity patterns with various B. gingivalis strains the monoclonal antibodies were found to recognize 2 principal serogroups, which may have the same respective strain composition as previously detected virulence and serogroups. All recognized antigens were found to be expressed on the surface of the bacteria. Immunoblotting tests and analyses of the sensitivity of the recognized epitopes to various denaturing treatments suggested that 3 of 4 monoclonal antibodies reactive with all B. gingivalis strains tested, were directed to lipopolysaccharide epitopes. In contrast, the epitopes with a restricted expression on strains W83 and W50 (serogroup B) appeared to consist of outer membrane carbohydrate moieties.