Monoclonal antibodies against 3-deoxy-α-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) and D-glycero-α-D-talo-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Ko)

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were obtained after immunization of mice with neoglycoconjugates containing as a ligand the disaccharide Kdo(2→ 4)Ko or Ko(2→4)Kdo, representing structural elements of the core region of lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) from Acinetobacter haemolyticus and Burkholderia cepacia, respectively. One antibody, S67-9, bound with high specificity to Ko(2→ 4)Kdo-BSA showing no cross reactivity with Kdo(2→ 4)Kdo-BSA and the other antigens tested. A second mAb, S68-12, bound preferentially to Kdo(2→ 4)Ko-BSA but cross reacted with Ko(2→ 4)Kdo-BSA and Kdo(2→ 4)Kdo-BSA. A third mAb, S67-27, was found to bind Kdo monosaccharide. Although mAbs S67-9 and S68-12 did not bind to LPS of Burkholderia or Acinetobacter as expected, the mAbs will be useful tools in studying the biosynthesis of LPS containing Ko.