Preparation and characterization of hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies to tick-borne encephalitis virus

Monoclonal antibodies (MA) were prepared to two strains of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus: strain 4072 isolated from a patient in the U.S.S.R. and low-pathogenic for mice strain Skalica, isolated from a bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) in Slovakia. MA specific to the 4072 and Skalica strains were produced by hybridomas of the KEN (60 clones) and NEK (65 clones) series, respectively. Chromosomal analysis of MA producing 114 hybridoma clones of both series revealed a great variability in the number of chromosomes either in the range of given clones or between individual clones. The hybridoma cells under study possessed a high degree of transformation manifested by good growth in the mouse peritoneal cavity and marked accumulation in ascitic fluid (AF).