Monoclonal antibodies raised to the dengue-2 virus (Cuban: A15 strain) which recognize viral structural proteins

Mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were raised to dengue-2 virus (D-2V) Cuban (A15) strain and the cell culture supernatants were screened by ELISA using the homologous virus. Three MAb-secreting lines were further characterized using immunoblot, haemaglutination, complement-fixation, and neutralization assays. One of these, MAb 8H8, weakly reacted with the viral nonstructural-1 protein (NS1) but more specifically identified the capsid protein (C), MAb 3E1 recognized in serological assays D-2V A15 but it had a weak reaction to C protein by immunodetection whereas another, MAb 4G3, weakly neutralized the homologous virus isolate and blocked the binding of specific anti-envelope (E) Mab, and its reaction with this protein could not be confirmed using immunoblot assays. These reagents are now being used to compare virulent plus avirulent Caribbean viruses antibody dependent enhancement (ADE) assays.