Immunological properties and biological function of monoclonal antibodies to tobacco mosaic virus.

Monoclonal antibodies to TMV vulgare produced in hybridoma cultures as well as in ascitic fluid were characterized according to their reactivity with the virion and/or the coat protein monomer thus revealing specificity for epitopes, cryptotopes or neotopes. Different patterns of crossreactivity of these monoclonal antibodies with TMV strains dahlemense and Holmes' Ribgrass occurred. Some monoclonal antibodies showed stronger reactivity with these strains than with the immunizing strain. The monoclonal antibodies were TMV-specific as they did not react with ArMV and PLRV and proteins of healthy tobacco plants. The monoclonal antibodies were of the IgG2a or IgM isotype. The specific activity (Ext405nm/hour/100 micrograms MCA) with the immunizing virus and its coat protein monomers was determined as characteristic property of each monoclonal antibody. A monoclonal antibody specific for the C-terminal epitope of TMV coat protein was selected by means of the corresponding chemically synthesized tetrapeptide. With this monoclonal antibody infectivity of TMV was neutralized.