Production and Characterisation of Murine Monoclonal Antibodies to Feline Erythrocyte A and B Antigens

Anti-A antiserum from blood type B cats, the current reagent used to detect blood type A cats, is expensive, labour intensive to produce, and can vary in sensitivity between preparations. In contrast, monoclonal antibodies are produced easily in large quantities and pure form. We produced six IgM class murine monoclonal antibodies, four specific for feline blood type A and two that detect feline blood type B, by injection of mice with liposomes incorporating type A or B erythrocyte membrane antigens. Specificities of each monoclonal antibody were characterised by high performance thin layer chromatography of feline erythrocyte membrane glycolipids and by immunoblotting of feline erythrocyte membrane proteins separated by SDS-PAGE. The anti-A monoclonal antibodies specifically detected feline blood type A by direct agglutination of blood-typed samples from many cats. Each anti-A monoclonal antibody agglutinated some, but not all, feline blood type AB samples. Two anti-A monoclonal antibodies appeared identical and recognised NeuGc]₂G_D3, the major glycolipid antigen of type A blood. The other two also appeared identical to each other and recognised a slower migrating glycolipid band, which may be NeuGc]G_T3. The two anti-B monoclonal antibodies detected feline blood type B by direct agglutination and both recognised NeuAc]₂G_D3, the major glycolipid antigen of type B blood. None of the monoclonal antibodies recognised erythrocyte membrane glycoproteins specific for either feline type A or type B blood. The ability of the anti-A monoclonal antibodies produced in this study to specifically detect feline blood type A makes them useful replacements for anti-A antiserum for blood typing of cats. The inability of each anti-A antibody to agglutinate blood from every type AB cat suggests a difference between the A antigen of some type A and some type AB cats.