Production of mouse monoclonal antibodies which inhibit in vitro adherence of Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites.

Adherence by axenic Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites to mammalian cells is mediated by an N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc)-inhibitable adhesin on the surface of the parasite. We isolated 35 hybridoma cell lines producing antibodies to E. histolytica as indicated by ELISA with sonicated amebic protein or by immunofluorescence assay with fixed whole trophozoites. Tissue culture supernatants were further screened for subcloning by the ability to bind to Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells which were first exposed to a partially purified soluble preparation of the amebic GalNAc-inhibitable lectin. Eight tissue culture supernatants were positive in this assay. Antibodies from four subcloned cell lines (D3-14, H8-5, I12-2, and I1-21) inhibited amebic adherence to CHO cells (P less than 0.01). Of the original 35 tissue culture supernatants, 3 also inhibited amebic adherence (P less than 0.01; F1, F14, and J10); monoclonal antibodies in these supernatants did not bind to lectin-exposed CHO cells. Three purified monoclonal antibodies (H8-5, I12-2, and I1-21) inhibited amebic adherence at greater than or equal to 2 micrograms/10(4) amebae (P less than 0.05). None of these inhibitory monoclonal antibodies immunoprecipitated with a soluble amebic protein preparation following sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. Monoclonal antibodies which inhibit in vitro adherence by E. histolytica will be useful in purification of the GalNAc-inhibitable lectin.