ESTABLISHMENT, CHARACTERIZATION AND APPLICATION OF MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES AGAINST EEL VIRUS EUROPEAN (EVE)

A panel of six monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against eel virus European (EVE) isolated from eel (Anguilla japonica) with branchionephritis was established in the present study. These systems have been applied for a rapid identification and presumptive serotyping of aquatic birnavirus isolates using western immunoblot assay. Amongst these six MAbs, four were demonstrated to be able to react with viral gamma-polypeptide, whereas the other two were specific to viral beta-polypeptide. Three MAbs identified epitopes that were highly conserved among members of AB serotype. One MAb recognized an epitope present on AB and SP serotype strains. Two MAbs exhibit the common epitopes observed on AB, SP and VR299 serotypes of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV). One of these two MAbs could react with all aquatic birnavirus isolates from various areas including Asia, North America and Europe. Six isolates from Asia exhibiting five varying reaction patterns were demonstrated to be distinct from AB, SP and VR299 serotypes.