Enzyme immunoassay for rabies antibody in hybridoma culture fluids and its application to differentiation of street and laboratory strains of rabies virus

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Abstract
A rapid and sensitive enzyme immunoassay is described for detecting rabies antibody in hybridoma culture fluids. Glass fiber filter disks were used to immobilize .gamma.-irradiated mouse neuroblastoma cells infected with street or laboratory strains of rabies virus. Bound rabies-specific antibody was detected by reaction with horseradish peroxidase-labeled goat anti-mouse IgG. The assay was performed in a 96-well filtration device for the typing of herpes simplex viruses. When partially disrupted cells were used, both internal and external viral antigens were available for reaction. The procedure is rapid (< 4 h for completion) and requires only small amounts of fluid, and the .gamma.-irradiated antigen is noninfectious. When the procedure was used to screen 145 fluids from rabies-immune spleen-myeloma cell fusions, 132 were positive for rabies antibody. Other commonly used assays for the detection of rabies-specific antibody were less sensitive. Simultaneous analyses of many hybridoma fluids against a battery of street and laboratory strains of rabies virus are possible and allow rapid selection of useful monoclones.