Monoclonal antibodies against Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane antigens: isolation and characterization

Hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies specific for Pseudomonas aeruginosa outer membrane antigens were isolated. One of the antibodies was highly specific for the O antigen of the lipopolysaccharide of International Antigen Typing Scheme serotype 5 strains, reacting only weakly with a serotype 17 strain and failing to react with the outer membranes of strains representing 15 other serotypes. This monoclonal antibody was able to agglutinate heat-killed bacterial cells as well as lipopolysaccharide-coated sheep erythrocytes. Two other monoclonal antibodies were able to interact with the outer membranes of strains representing all 17 serotypes, although they were unable to agglutinate heat-killed bacterial cells. One of these was shown to be specific for the major outer membrane lipoprotein H2. The antigenic site against which this monoclonal antibody reacted was present in the outer membranes of two Pseudomonas fluorescens strains, two Pseudomonas putida strains, a Pseudomonas anguilliseptica strain, and an Azotobacter vinelandii strain, but not in the outer membranes of five other bacterial species.