A rat oocyte differentiation antigen (OA-1) detected by a monoclonal antibody

Cell surface antigenic changes associated with differentiation of the rat oocyte and early embryo have been demonstrated with a monoclonal antibody (anti-OA-1). Antigen is first detectable coincident with initiation of oocyte growth, is a constant feature of all growing oocytes and displays a redistribution during meiotic maturation. Following fertilization, antigen is detectable on the surface of the embryo through the four-cell stage. This first monospecific marker for the rat oocyte and embryo should prove useful in probing structure/function relationships in oocyte growth, meiotic maturation fertilization, and/or early embryonic development.     

A novel fibrillar structure in cultured cells detected by a monoclonal antibody

Using a monoclonal antibody, we have detected an antigen present in a unique fibrillar structure in the cytoplasm of cultured cells by immunofluorescence. These structures have been identified by transmission electron microscopy and ultrastructural immunocytochemistry as large single paracrystalline arrays of individual filaments morphologically similar to intermediate filaments. The antibody detects these structures in fibroblastic and epithelioid cultured cell lines of mouse, rat, bovine, and human origin but not of avian origin. Only a small percentage of the cells in a culture contains these structures; each cell usually contains only one, although two or more have been observed in a single cell. The structures are elongated vermiform arrays of filaments in the cytoplasm (approximately 0.5 X 3 microns) which have a thread-like or toroidal appearance. Because of this shape, we have named the putative antigen recognized by this antibody "nematin." Double-label experiments showed that these structures had no relationship to tubulin or vimentin. Immunocytochemical localization in human tissues revealed a high concentration of a reactive antigen in the stratum granulosum of skin and in what probably are neuroglial cells in the central nervous system. This monoclonal antibody may detect a novel intermediate filament protein and/or a shared determinant of different intermediate filament proteins.     

A bovine 'Ia-like' antigen detected by a xenogeneic monoclonal antibody

A monoclonal antibody termed B2 Val 7C7, was produced by the fusion of xenoimmune mouse spleen cells with Sp2/0.Ag 14 myeloma cells. This antibody is specific for a polymorphic lymphocyte antigen; it was detected on cells from 138 out of 177 cattle by both 125I-labelled protein A (solid-phase radioimmunoassay, SPRIA) and gold-labelled protein A (immunogold). Its binding was tested on various cell types (peripheral blood lymphocytes, monocytes, polymorphonuclear cells (PMN), thymocytes) from a variety of normal bovine donors. On the one hand, B2 Val 7C7 detects a determinant present on all IgG-bearing lymphocytes, on 20% of the non-IgG-bearing lymphocytes and on the majority of the monocytes. On the other hand, no binding occurs on any PMN or thymocytes. The detected membrane antigen was isolated by immunoprecipitation from an NP 40 extract of 3H-leucine-labelled cells. On SDS-PAGE, it appears to be composed of two sub-units: a 32 000-dalton and a 27 000-dalton chain. These results show that B2 Val 7C7 recognizes an alloantigenic specificity present on an Ia-like antigen.     

A bovine 'Ia-like' antigen detected by a xenogeneic monoclonal antibody

A monoclonal antibody termed B2 Val 7C7, was produced by the fusion of xenoimmune mouse spleen cells with Sp2/0.Ag 14 myeloma cells. This antibody is specific for a polymorphic lymphocyte antigen; it was detected on cells from 138 out of 177 cattle by both ¹²⁵I-labelled protein A (solid-phase radioimmunoassay, SPRIA) and gold-labelled protein A (immunogold). Its binding was tested on various cell types (peripheral blood lymphocytes, monocytes, polymorphonuclear cells (PMN), thymocytes) from a variety of normal bovine donors. On the one hand, B2 Val 7C7 detects a determinant present on all IgG-bearing lymphocytes, on 20 % of the non-IgG-bearing lymphocytes and on the majority of the monocytes. On the other hand, no binding occurs on any PMN or thymocytes. The detected membrane antigen was isolated by immunoprecipitation from an NP 40 extract of ³H-leucine-labelled cells. On SDS-PAGE, it appears to be composed of two sub-units: a 32 000-dalton chain and a 27 000-dalton chain. These results show that B2 Val 7C7 recognizes an alloantigenic specificity present on an Ia-like antigen     

Dynamics of membrane translocation of phosphatidylserine during apoptosis detected by a monoclonal antibody

Translocation of phosphatidylserine (PS) to the outer leaflet of the cellular membrane seems to be a key step in apoptosis and cell activation. In this paper, the production and characterization of a monoclonal antibody designated as Mab 1H6 is described which does not show cross reactivity with others anionic phospholipids. It is demonstrated that Mab1H6 can recognize externalized PS at early stages after the induction of apoptosis shown by both flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. Our results show that translocation of PS can be detected as early as 5 min by immunofluorescence and 10 min by flow cytometry after the treatment of cells and a specific dynamics is observed concerning the location and distribution of the staining. These data prove that antibody Mab 1H6 can be used as a specific probe for detection of PS translocation.M.M. and D.K. contributed equally to this work     

Sialosyllactotetraosylceramide, a novel ganglioside antigen detected in human carcinomas by a monoclonal antibody

A novel ganglioside was detected in a small cell lung carcinoma by TLC-immunostaining of gangliosides with a monoclonal antibody, the C-50 MAb. Structural characterization showed this ganglioside to be IV3NeuAc-LcOse4Cer, a hitherto unknown ganglioside. This ganglioside has also been detected as a minor component in many different carcinomas using the C-50 MAb. The normally dominant CA-50 ganglioside antigen is IV3NeuAc, III4Fuc-LcOse4Cer. Based upon solid-phase binding to IV3NeuAc, III4-LcOse4Cer and IV3NeuAc-LcOse4Cer it is concluded that the C-50 MAb recognizes an epitope present in sialylated type I carbohydrate chains.     

A novel polymorphism of human complement component C3 detected by means of a monoclonal antibody

A mouse monoclonal antibody, HAV 4-1, obtained after immunization of a BALB/c mouse with purified C3F, detected a novel genetic polymorphism of human complement component C3 in a simple immunoblotting system. The frequency of HAV 4-1-positive genes was 20.1%. Reactivity of HAV 4-1 was closely related to C3F, but certain individuals with the C3F allele did not react with HAV 4-1. Conversely, certain C3S homozygous individuals did react with HAV 4-1. The polymorphism detected by this monoclonal antibody is therefore different from the previously described polymorphism based on charge differences.     

Deficiency of neutrophil membrane antigen detected by monoclonal antibody in rheumatoid arthritis

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against cell surface antigens and receptors are instrumental in defining specific membrane markers. mAbs GF 26.7.3 and MF 25.1 against human neutrophils modulated the activation mechanism of superoxide anion production induced by formyl-peptide and PMA in all subject. However, treatment with mAb MF 25.1 of neutrophils from patients with rheumatoid arthritis did not have any effect. This may suggest that the antigen which MF 25.1 binds is absent in rheumatoid conditions. This confirms our previous data showing that defective expression of membrane components is associated with neutrophil dysfunction.     

Circulating melanoma-associated antigen detected by monoclonal antibody NKI/C-3

Summary NKI/C-3 and NKI/black-13 are monoclonal antibodies recognizing different epitopes on a melanoma-associated antigen that is preserved after fixation in formalin and embedding in paraffin in virtually all melanoma tissues. The antigen, a predominantly cytoplasmic vesicle membrane-bound heterogeneous glycoprotein of 25–110×10³ daltons, was shown to be a single 25×10³ dalton polypeptide when incorporation of N-linked carbohydrates was inhibited by tunicamycin. The antigen was measured in a double determinant enzyme immunoassay (DDEIA) using NKI/C-3 as catcher antibody. Results from in vitro experiments indicated that the antigen is actively shed from living cells. In sera from melanoma patients with a small tumor burden, the antigen concentrations were in the range of those of controls (0–22 U/ml). Significantly increased values (33–600 U/ml) were found in sera from patients with a moderate or large tumor burden. The antigen concentrations in sera from patients with multiple metastases of other tumors were within the range of controls. Several sera from patients with multiple metastases of colon, pancreatic, and stomach carcinoma, however, contained increased antigen concentrations (45–80 U/ml). These results correspond with the reactions of NKI/C-3 in tissue sections of some malignancies other than melanoma.During the follow-up of melanoma patients the concentrations of circulating antigen correlated with tumor progression. The predictive value of the NKI/C-3 assay was no better than determination of serum lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase or gamma glutamyl transferase activity.     

Lipocortin-like 33 kDa protein of guinea pig neutrophil. Its distribution and stimulation-dependent translocation detected by monoclonal anti-33 kDa protein antibody

33 kDa protein of neutrophil is a lipocortin-like protein, as proposed from its biochemical properties, amino acid composition, and the homology of its amino acid sequence to human lipocortin I. The localization and translocation of 33 kDa protein (p33) in blood cells of guinea pig were studied by immunoblotting (Western blotting) and immunocytochemical fluorescence methods using polyclonal and monoclonal mouse anti-p33 antibodies. The protein was determined to be present only in the cytoplasm of neutrophils, but not in cells such as the monocyte, lymphocyte, platelet, and other bone marrow cells. The translocation of the protein from cytoplasm to cell membrane was coupled with the increase in intracellular calcium ion and in superoxide generation induced by a chemotactic factor. These findings suggest that p33 may have an important role not only in the regulatory mechanism of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity but also in other transmembrane signaling.     

Immunolocalization of detergent-susceptible nucleoplasmic lamin A/C foci by a novel monoclonal antibody

The A-type lamins are localized in the interior of the nucleus as well as on the nuclear periphery. In this study, we have characterized a monoclonal antibody LA-2F9 produced against recombinant rat lamin A which stains a subpopulation of various cell types in a pattern of small nucleoplasmic foci that are unusually susceptible to mild detergent/salt extraction. The specific reactivity of mAb LA-2F9 towards lamins was confirmed by immunoblotting of HeLa and C3H10T(1/2) whole cell lysates and nuclear lysates. The epitope for LA-2F9 was narrowed down to amino acid residues 268-278 (SAKLDNARQSA). To check whether the appearance of lamin foci was cell-cycle-dependent, C3H10T(1/2) cells were serum-starved and then refed to trigger cells to enter the G(1) phase of the cell-cycle. The intensity of staining increased 3.5-fold within 6 h of refeeding, when the maximum number of cells were labeled with LA-2F9. We also checked whether the LA-2F9 foci colocalized with nuclear proteins known to be distributed in small foci such as hnRNPs, snRNPs, SC-35, and p80 coilin, but did not find evidence of colocalization. Our studies suggest that LA-2F9 has a novel and specific reactivity towards detergent-susceptible lower order lamin structures that are likely to be assembly intermediates.     

A novel monoclonal antibody, 1B3.1, binds to a new epitope of the VLA-1 molecule

A monoclonal antibody, 1B3.1, was raised against a cloned IL-2-dependent T cell line that expresses the T gamma delta T cell receptor. MoAb 1B3.1 reacted with long-term cultured T cell lines of both T gamma delta and T alpha beta lineage, and with in vivo-stimulated T cells, derived from synovial fluid, but not with resting or short-term activated T cells, B cells, or macrophages. Immunoprecipitation of the 1B3.1 target antigens showed that 1B3.1 recognizes a 200/110 kDa molecule that is identical to the VLA-1 heterodimer precipitated by MoAb TS2/7. 1B3.1, however, binds to an epitope of VLA-1 that is distinct from the TS2/7 binding site. This new MoAb could be useful in further studies of the functions of VLA-1, and of the cells that express this molecule.     

A novel monoclonal antibody that recognizes apical membrane of frog taste cells

We established a hybridoma clone 1N1 that produced a monoclonal antibody to stain the apical portion of frog taste cells, by directly immunizing taste discs of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) without any dispersion procedure of the taste organ. The antibody stained discrete regions on the surface of the taste discs, but did not stain the epithelium sheet of the tongue devoid of taste discs. The antibody stained approximately 93% of the taste discs tested (172/184) derived from nine frogs, showing that distribution of the antigen was common to most of the taste discs. The following observations strongly suggested that the antibody recognized a certain antigen on the apical membrane of the taste cells. (i) The antibody selectively stained cross points of intermucus areas on the surface of the taste disc. Neither the mucus cells nor the wing cells that mainly cover the surface were stained with the antibody. (ii) Dispersed taste cells were prepared by calcium ion chelating and subsequently by collagenase treatment to avoid digestion of the antigen. The antibody stained the apical end of the taste cells.      

Presence of phospholipid-neutral lipid complex structures in atherosclerotic lesions as detected by a novel monoclonal antibody.

A novel monoclonal antibody (ASH1a/256C) that recognizes atherosclerotic lesions in human and Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbit aortae is described. When (123)I-labeled ASH1a/256C antibody is injected intravenously into WHHL rabbits, it associates specifically with fatty streaks on the aorta. The antigen recognized by the antibody is lipid, based on extraction with chloroform and methanol from WHHL rabbit tissues. The antigen, purified by high performance liquid chromatography, was shown to be phosphatidylcholine (PC), which contains unsaturated fatty acyl groups based on analyses utilizing (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transfer-infrared spectrum, and mass spectrometry. The antibody did not react with other classes of phospholipids or neutral lipids when tested using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. When PC was mixed with either cholesterol, cholesteryl ester, or triacylglycerol, however, the reactivity of the antibody to PC increased up to 8-fold. Homogenates of aorta tissue obtained from normal and WHHL rabbits were fractionated using sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation in which neutral lipid droplets, cellular membranes, and proteins are separated. The phospholipid content in cellular membrane fractions from WHHL rabbits was twice as high as that of normal rabbits, and there was an enormous difference in the antigenic activity in these fractions. The content of cholesterol in the cellular membrane fraction of WHHL rabbits was approximately 50 times higher than that of normal rabbits. Addition of neutral lipids to the cellular membrane fraction of normal rabbit markedly increased the antigenic activity. Atheromatous lesions in thickened WHHL rabbit aortic intima that were rich in lipid droplets were stained positively with ASH1a/256C immunohistochemically. These results strongly suggest that PC-neutral lipid complex domains are formed in atherosclerotic lesions.     

A monoclonal antibody that inhibits mycobacterial DNA gyrase by a novel mechanism

DNA gyrase is a DNA topoisomerase indispensable for cellular functions in bacteria. We describe a novel, hitherto unknown, mechanism of specific inhibition of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA gyrase by a monoclonal antibody (mAb). Binding of the mAb did not affect either GyrA-GyrB or gyrase-DNA interactions. More importantly, the ternary complex of gyrase-DNA-mAb retained the ATPase activity of the enzyme and was competent to catalyse DNA cleavage-religation reactions, implying a new mode of action different from other classes of gyrase inhibitors. DNA gyrase purified from fluoroquinolone-resistant strains of M.tuberculosis and M.smegmatis were inhibited by the mAb. The absence of cross-resistance of the drug-resistant enzymes from two different sources to the antibody-mediated inhibition corroborates the new mechanism of inhibition. We suggest that binding of the mAb in the proximity of the primary dimer interface region of GyrA in the heterotetrameric enzyme appears to block the release of the transported segment after strand passage, leading to enzyme inhibition. The specific inhibition of mycobacterial DNA gyrase with the mAb opens up new avenues for designing novel lead molecules for drug discovery and for probing gyrase mechanism.     

A hybridoma producing human monoclonal antibody specific for glycoprotein 120 kDa of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1

A stable hybridoma producing anti-HIV human monoclonal antibody (HMCA) was generated by fusing CD3-depleted human splenic lymphocytes from an HIV sero-positive donor with the mouse myeloma cell line P3x63AgU1. The resultant hybridoma has been secreting IgG1, lambda chain for over nine months at a rate of 2.5 micrograms/10(6)cells/day. The HMCA shows specific reactivity in ELISA using HIV-infected cell lysates. Immunofluorescence tests have indicated that this HMCA binds specifically to the surface of H9 and C3 HIV/HTLVIIIb infected cells, HIV/N1T infected CEM cells and to MoT cells infected with an HIV clinical isolate. Western blotting revealed recognition of glycoproteins 120 and 160 kDa of HIV by the HMCA. Although this HMCA demonstrated no neutralizing activity, the production of an anti-HIV HMCA specific for glycoprotein 120 kDa indicates the possibility that a neutralizing HMCA can be developed as further fusions with lymph nodes and spleens from HIV positive donors are performed.     

Genetic variants of placental alkaline phosphatase as detected by a monoclonal antibody

Summary Human placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) is a highly polymorphic enzyme. Several common as well as rare allelic forms of PLAP are characterized in this paper in terms of their reactivity with a murine monoclonal antibody (F₁₁). The common type 1 (S) and 3 (I) variants, and the rare type 4 (S₂) and 18 (D) variants were found to react with the F₁₁ antibody, so as did three new electrophoretically defined variants (19, 20, and 21). In contrast, the common type 2 (F₁) variant and the rare type 8 (F₃) and 9 (F₂) variants do not react with the F₁₁ antibody. This selective reactivity of F₁₁ has also allowed the identification of two molecular variants of PLAP with identical electrophoretic mobility. These results establish monoclonal antibodies as invaluable adjuncts in the study of PLAP polymorphism.