Influence of Constant Region of Monoclonal Antibodies on Tularemia Diagnostics

A subclass switch family of mouse IgG monoclonal antibodies with specificity to the lipopolysaccharide of the bacterium Francisella tularensis will be generated. The influence of the constant region of an antibody on binding affinity has direct implications in the development of immunoassays to diagnose disease. We hypothesize that changing the constant region of a mouse IgG antibody affects the binding affinity of an antibody, and in turn, the best isotype for immunoassays can be determined. The results of this study may lead to the development of protective antibodies in a murine model of tularemia.