[Preparation and characterization of monoclonal antibody against Clostridium difficile toxin A]

To prepare monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against Clostridium difficile toxin A and identify their properties.

BALB/c mice were immunized with C.difficile toxin A. The splenocytes from immunized mice were fused with myeloma cells Sp2/0. The hybridoma cells were screened by indirect ELISA and limiting dilution method. The titer and relative affinity of ascitic mAbs were determined by ELISA. Specificity of mAbs was analyzed by Western blot.

Six hybridoma cell lines (2H7, 3E9, 4B5, 5C10, 6G8 and 8A1) secreting mAbs against C.difficile toxin A were obtained. The Ig classes and subclasses of mAbs 2H7, 3E9 and 6G8 were IgM, mAbs 4B5 and 8A1 were IgG1, and mAb 5C10 was IgG2a. All 6 mAbs had no neutralization activity. Epitope recognized by 5 mAbs(2H7, 4B5, 5C10, 6G8 and 8A1) differed from that by mAb 3E9. Relative affinities of mAbs 8A1 and 4B5 were all above 10(5), and those of other 4 mAbs were 10(4). Western blot analysis no-denatured PAGE showed that all 6 mAbs reacted to C.difficile toxin A with M(r) being 55 x 10(4), and under the condition of denatured SDS-PAGE, Western blot analysis showed that all 6 mAbs reacted to subunits of C.difficile toxin A with M(r) being 5 x 10(4)-24 x 10(4).

Six mAbs against C.difficile toxin A with high titers were obtained successfully with satisfactory specificity and relative affinity, which will be useful for detection of C.difficile toxin A.