[Preparation of single-chained antibodies to surface glycoprotein E from tick-borne encephalitis virus]

A single-stranded antibody gene scFv was designed on the base of cDNA fragments of genes coding for variable domains of heavy and light chains of MAb E6B to tick-borne encephalitis glycoprotein E. High production of stable soluble scFv was reproduced in Escherichia coli cells. Recombinant antibodies bound to antiidiotypical antibodies to initial MAb E6B and to recombinant virus protein E. Competitive analysis showed that single-stranded antibodies inhibited reaction between MAb E6B and protein E. These results confirm the formation of scFv with the original antigen-binding specificity towards tick-borne encephalitis virus glycoprotein E.