Antigenic characterization of poliovirus type 3 using monoclonal antibodies

Hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies to type 3 poliovirus were prepared, and their reactivity with infectious virus (D antigen), empty particles (C antigen), and isolated virion capsid proteins ( VPs ) were examined. Eight antibodies reacted with epitopes common to D and C antigens, and all of these possessed high titers of neutralizing activity. However, only 12 of 19 antibodies that reacted exclusively with D antigen neutralized virus infectivity, and some of these reacted only with strains of virus with T1-oligonucleotide maps identical or similar to that of Sabin vaccine polio virus. These antibodies will be of value in identifying strains of virus derived from Sabin vaccine. None of the 20 monoclonal antibodies that neutralized type 3 poliovirus strains reacted in immunoblot experiments with isolated virion capsid proteins. However, six of the 24 antibodies that reacted only with noninfectious C antigen bound to VP1 and VP3, and three of these antibodies also reacted with proteins of poliovirus types 1 or 2. The lack of reactivity of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies with isolated viral proteins suggests that the antigenic properties of proteins are determined by their arrangement in the virus and not simply by amino acid sequence.