Development of monoclonal antibodies against VP28 of WSSV and its application to detect WSSV using immunocomb

White spot disease (WSD) is an important viral disease of penaeid shrimp caused by white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). WSSV isolated from WSD outbreaks in commercial shrimp (Penaeus monodon) farms in India were propagated in the laboratory in healthy shrimp. The virus was purified from the infected tissues by sucrose gradient centrifugation. The VP28 was electroeluted from SDS-PAGE gels and was used to immunize Balb/c mice to produce hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies (MAb) against WSSV. A total of five hybridoma clones secreting MAbs to VP28 were produced. The MAbs were of the isotypes IgG1, IgG2b and IgM. The MAbs reacted with VP28 of WSSV and not with any other viral or shrimp protein in western blot. The MAbs were used to develop dot immunoblot assay using an immunocomb to detect WSSV from field samples. The test developed had an analytical sensitivity of 625 pg and a diagnostic sensitivity of 100% compared to single step polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The test can be used as an alternate for first step PCR to detect WSSV from field samples.