Production, Immunoanalysis and Selection of Monoclonal Antibodies for Studies of Polymorphism of Bovine MHC Class I Antigens

Two monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) were raised against bovine lymphocyte antigens of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) for studies of the polymorphism of MHC class I antigens of African cattle. Immunoanalysis of lymphoid tissues and molecular weight data were used to characterize the epitopes seen by the MoAbs. Competitive binding assays indicated specificity of the MoAbs for two distinct epitopes. Application of the MoAbs for MHC typing of a cattle population showed that the epitopes were co-expressed on the target MHC antigen but occurred independently on non-target MHC antigens. It is concluded that, to obtain MoAbs for studies of MHC polymorphism, it is important to conduct large-scale analysis using immunoassays and population studies.