Abstract
Bordetella pertussis is a small gram-negative coccobacillus that causes whooping cough, undergoes frequent antigenic variations. Recently, monoclonal antibodies have been prepared that react with B. pertussis and its components. This chapter discusses the utility of such antibodies for investigation of relevant B. pertussis antigens. The major antigens for identifying and serotyping B. pertussis are six agglutinogens, so called because they induce agglutinating antibody. Bordetella pertussis also produces a variety of noxious substances involved in pathogenesis of the disease. Major virulence antigens include pertussis toxin (PT), adenylate cyclase, and filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA). Several monoclonal antibodies have been induced to B. pertussis and its products, such as FHA, PT, outer membrane proteins, lipopolysaccharide, and unidentified antigens. Antibodies to FHA showed that FHA is not fimbrial in nature but lies on the cell surface. Antibodies to PT have shown reactions with specific subunits of the toxin, neutralizing toxicity only if they react with subunit. Monoclonal antibodies have been used in immunoaffinity chromatography to purify both FHA and PT from culture fluids. Monoclonal antibodies are likely to play an important role in defining the antigens of B. pertussis, in providing diagnostic reagents, and in purifying cell components.
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