Production and characterization of a murine monoclonal antibody recognizing a shared mycobacterial polysaccharide.

An IgM monoclonal antibody specific for mycobacterial arabinomannan was produced by the fusion of splenocytes from BALB/c mice immunized with purified arabinomannan with NSI/1 myeloma cells. Specificity was demonstrated by gel-radioimmunoassay, and by inhibition of binding using the purified polysaccharide. The monoclonal antibody recognized the arabinomannans from all 18 species of mycobacteria tested, including Mycobacterium leprae. This antibody expands the number of defined mycobacterial antigens against which monoclonal antibodies have been produced, and has potential application in studies concerning the pathogenesis of mycobacterial disease.