Animals were immunized with Streptococcus mutans Clarke (ATCC 25175). Spleen cells were fused with NS-1-Ag4-1 myeloma cells. The SWLA1 (ATCC HB-12559), SWLA2 (ATCC HB-12580), and SWLA3 (ATCC HB-12558) antibodies appear to recognize a species-specific lipooligosaccharide or lipopolysaccharide on the cell surface of S. mutans. These antibodies have substantially no reactivity with any of the following bacterial strains: Streptococcus rattus (ATCC 19645, Streptococcus gordonii (ATCC 10558), Streptococcus gordonii (ATCC 13396), Streptococcus mitis (ATCC 49456). Also Streptococcus sobrinus (ATCC 33478), Streptococcus sobrinus 6715, Streptococcus sanguis (ATCC 10556), Streptococcus sanguis (ATCC 49295), Streptococcus anginosus (ATCC 33397), Lactobacillus acidophilus (ATCC 4356), Lactobacillus casei (ATCC 4646), Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (ATCC 33384), Porphyromonas gingivalis (ATCC 33277), Prevotella intermedia (ATCC 49046), Bacteroides forsythus (ATCC 43047), Eikenella corrodens (ATCC 23834), Fusobacterium nucleatum (ATCC 25586), Treponema denticola (ATCC 33520), Campylobacter rectus (ATCC 33238), Myxococcus xanthus DZ2, and Escherichia coli HB101. These antibodies can be used in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of dental caries in humans. |
