Preparation and characterization of a monoclonal antibody against bovine CD5 lymphocyte surface antigen.

The M1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) was proved to recognize 51-70% of Bovine peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). The M1+ cells were SIg-. In spleen and lymph nodes, the M1 positive lymphocytes were located within the T cell areas. All the lymphoid follicles remained negative. In the thymus, 10% of thymocytes were M1+, most of them were located in the medulla. The M1 mAb did not inhibit spontaneous rosette formation by sheep erythrocytes and bovine lymphocytes. On the other hand, biochemical analysis of membrane antigen with bovine thymic tumor cell line LB203 gave a molecular weight of 75 kDa. Despite a slight difference in biochemical results (75 vs 67-69 kDa). Our data permit us to consider M1 mAb as a possible homologous of human anti-CD5 mAb. Finally, M1 cross-reacted with sheep peripheral blood T lymphocytes.