Immune response of the mouse to gram-negative bacterial outer membrane extracts as assessed with monoclonal antibodies.

Neisseria meningitidis outer membrane extracts of known serotype antigens as well as isolates from a linear carriage study were used to immunize mice for subsequent production of monoclonal antibodies. As well, membrane extracts from one strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, serotype M, were used. The degree of specificity of the resulting monoclonal antibodies to the two genera differed markedly when tested with known serotype antigens. That is, antibody from a given clone reacting with more than one serotype specificity was a more frequent occurrence among clones resulting from the Pseudomonas fusion. Preexisting "natural" antibody to several Pseudomonas species is considered at least partially responsible for the diversity of the response to this genus. Evidence is presented for the divergence of specificity with time after immunization with Neisseria.