Monoclonal Antibodies Specific For The Major Virulence Antigen (v Antigen) Of Yersinia Pestis

Abstract

UC Berkeley scientists have identified several monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) that can be used to detect the V antigen which is one of the essential determinants of virulence in Yersinia pestis, the gram-negative bacterium that caused the bubonic plague. These Mabs may be used to test whether V antigen is present in commercially produced plague vaccine, for epitope mapping of V antigen and determination of V antigen structure as reagents for efficient immunoaffinity purification of V antigen, to screen recombinant hosts expressing cloned V antigen, and as reagents for passive or genetic immunization against Y. pestis in animals or humans.