Isolation of Hybridoma Cell Lines Producing Antibody against Cholera Enterotoxin

We have previously reported the in vitro synthesis of cholera toxin-related polypeptides in Escherichia coli cell free translation mixtures. These polypeptides were immunologically detected following treatment of reaction mixtures with anti-subunit A or anti-cholera toxin sera (1). Addition of cholera toxin to reaction mixtures was shown to bolck immunoprecipitation. These experiments strongly suggested that in vitro synthesis of cholera toxin-related polypeptides was being detected. However, identification was dependent on the purity of antisera used for immunoprecipitation. Since there was a possibility that the sera used contained minor components which might precipitate proteins other than cholera toxin-related polypeptides, we decided to develop a collection of cell lines producing monoclonal antibodies against cholera toxin and its subunits. These antibodies would be important in the study of cholera toxin precursors and the secretion of cholera toxin from Vibrio cholerae.