A monoclonal antibody against PrM/M protein of Japanese encephalitis virus.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a major public health threat in the Asia-Pacific region. The pre-membrane (PrM) protein of Japanese encephalitis virus is cleaved during maturation by the cellular protease into the structural protein M and a pr-segment. Here, we describe a procedure to generate monoclonal antibody (MAb) against JEV PrM/M protein and investigate its characteristics. Western blot analysis showed that the MAbs produced in this study were against JEV PrM/M specifically. Indirect immunofluorescence assay demonstrated that they could recognize native PrM/M protein in JEV-infected BHK-21 cells. Preliminary studies identified the epitope of the MAb with a set of synthesized overlapping peptides covering the whole length of PrM protein of JEV. The MAbs reported here may provide valuable tools for the further exploration of biological properties and functions of PrM/M protein and may also be developed for potential clinical applications.