Monoclonal antibodies to adenovirus type 35 hexon

A panel of 37 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against adenovirus type 35 (AV35) hexon was studied by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and passive hemagglutination (HA) methods. Nine heterologous hexon types and the homologous type were used to determine the reactivity pattern (RP) of the MAbs and to study the antigenic relationship among the different hexon types. Eleven types of RPs were shown using ELISA and seven types were shown using the HA test. In the case of six MAbs, the RPs were identical in both assay systems; 31 MAbs showed some differences when the results of the two methods were compared. The common epitopes of the different hexon types studied seem to be characterized as genus, subgenus, intersubgenus, and intertype specificities. The type-specific determinant of AV35 hexon could be detected by several MAbs. The antigenic relationship seems to be closer between the two oncogenic subgenera (A and B) of adenoviruses, whereas the antigenic relationship to AV35 hexon is somewhat looser for subgenera D, and E. Hexon types of subgenus C showed the greatest differences in antigenic structure compared with the AV35 hexon.