Selection of a monoclonal antibody specific for variant B human herpesvirus 6-infected mononuclear cells.

A monoclonal antibody, designated as MAb 6E2, specific for human herpesvirus 6 variant B (HHV-6B) was derived from the spleen of a mouse immunized with lysates of HHV-6B(Z29) cord blood mononuclear cells. MAb 6E2 reacts by immunofluorescence with all the HIV-6B strains tested (Z29, CV, Hashimoto and SF) and fails to react with variant A prototypes, GS and U1102. The immunofluorescence staining was punctate and localized to the cytoplasm. The protein reacting with MAb 6E2 was identified as protein 48,000 in apparent M(r) value by immunoaffinity chromatography of lysates of HHV-6B-infected mononuclear cells.