Specific quantification of whole virions of foot and mouth disease virus in a sandwich ELISA using a monoclonal antibody

A monoclonal antibody (MAb) against a linear determinant on foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) O1 Swiss VP1 (amino acids 140-160) has been used to specifically measure the weight of whole particles (146S) in the presence of subunits (12S). The MAb is used both as capture antibody, when attached to a microtitre plate, and as detecting reagent conjugated with horse radish peroxidase. The test also offers a qualitative assessment of antigen, since the epitope detected is sensitive to trypsin and other proteolytic enzymes in tissues culture supernatants. This offers a specific and sensitive assay for the measurement of immunogenic particles during vaccine manufacture without the need for sucrose density gradient centrifugation and use of polyacrylamide gel electrophesis to analyse possible VP1 cleavage. (author). 1 ref., 5 figs