Characterization of a chicken monoclonal antibody that recognizes the apical complex of Eimeria acervulina sporozoites and partially inhibits sporozoite invasion CD8(+) T lymphocytes in vitro

A Stable chicken hybridoma secreting a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that detects the apical complex of Eimeria acervulina sporozoites has been developed by fusing a thymidine kinase (TK)-deficient chicken myeloma with spleen cells from chickens immunized with sporozoite antigen. The mAb, designated as 6D-12-G10, recognized the apical complex of a sporozoite of 20-21 kDa molecular mass on western blots. Immunoelectron microscopic examination revealed that mAb 6D-12-G10 stained the conoid antigen. Furthermore, mAb 6D-12-G10 inhibited the invasion of sporozoites into CD8(+) T cells in vitro. These results suggest that the conoid may play an important role in the recognition and invasion of host cells by Eimeria sporozoites.