Immunohistologic examination of monoclonal antibodies generated against Eimeria bovis sporozoites for reactivity to meronts and sexual stages of E bovis and other eimerian parasites.

Seven monoclonal antibodies (MAB) generated against sporozoites of Eimeria bovis were tested for reactivity against immature and mature first-generation meronts, sexual stages, and oocysts in tissues from experimentally infected calves by use of an avidin-biotin peroxidase complex (ABPC) immunohistologic test. Three of the 7 MAB reacted in the ABPC test. One of these, MAB-4FB4, reacted only with mature E bovis meronts. The other 2 MAB, MAB-2AE7 and MAB-4AD7, reacted with all the developmental stages of E bovis tested. Asexual stages and sexual stages of E tenella from chickens and E papillata from mice also were examined in the ABPC test. Monoclonal antibodies MAB-2AE7 and MAB-4AD7 reacted with all stages of these eimerian protozoa. None of the other 5 MAB reacted with these parasites. Results of this study suggested that antigens are shared among the asexual and sexual stages of several diverse Eimeria species.