Monoclonal antibodies against human beta-glucocerebrosidase

Monoclonal antibodies were obtained against the membrane-bound lysosomal enzyme beta-glucocerebrosidase (acid beta-glucosidase), which is deficient in Gaucher's disease. BALB/c mice were immunized with homogeneous enzyme protein extracted from a sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel. The mice were subsequently hyperimmunized with partially purified enzyme prior to fusion of spleen cells with myeloma cells. After fusion, 32 primary hybrid cell populations were obtained which continued to produce antibodies against beta-glucocerebrosidase after prolonged time of culture. All antibodies reacted with both native and denatured enzyme. Four primary cell populations were subcloned and the antibodies produced were characterized. The antibodies were all four of the IgG1 subclass. Three of these antibodies bind to protein A whereas one does not. The results of binding assays indicated that three of the antibodies react with the same antigenic domain (epitope 1), but the fourth with a different one (epitope 2). Probably two antigenic determinants are present in epitope 1 since one of the antibodies with specificity for epitope 1 is inactivated after iodination by the chloramine-T procedure whereas a second one is not.     

Functional heterogeneity of monoclonal antibodies obtained using different screening assays

Two alternate screening methods have enabled the detection of monoclonal antibodies with different specificities toward the lysosomal enzyme alpha-mannosidase of Dictyostelium discoideum. Spleen/myeloma hybrid cell cultures were screened for antibody production by separate assays: an indirect enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) based on the antibody binding to enzyme adsorbed on plastic, and a direct assay of the antibodies' ability to precipitate enzyme activity with fixed Staphylococcus aureus cells (Pansorbin). Fourteen stable antibody-producing cell lines resulted from a single fusion; these fell into three distinct classes based on their screening characteristics. A group of eight were positive in both assays, and these immunoprecipitated a 140,000 Mr precursor form of alpha-mannosidase in addition to the 58,000 and 60,000 Mr mature enzyme subunits from [35S]methionine-labeled total secreted protein preparations. Two of the antibodies were positive only in the immunoprecipitation assay; these failed to precipitate the 140,000 Mr precursor. The third class consisted of four antibodies that were positive only in the ELISA method. These exclusively recognized an altered conformation of the enzyme (precursor and mature forms) that was immobilized either on plastic or on nitrocellulose paper. In addition, only members of this class were able to bind to immobilized fragments of protease-treated enzyme. The implications of these findings for the general design of monoclonal antibody screenings and for the alternative structures of this enzyme are discussed.     

Monoclonal antibodies to desmin, the muscle-specific intermediate filament protein

A set of monoclonal antibodies to desmin has been isolated from a fusion of mouse myeloma cells with spleen cells from mice immunized with purified porcine desmin. Eleven group I antibodies recognized desmin in the immune blot, and using defined desmin fragments the epitope has been tentatively assigned as lying between residues 325 and 372. When cell lines were tested in immunofluorescence only the human line RD and hamster BHK-21 were positive. When tissue sections were used, skeletal, cardiac, visceral and some vascular smooth muscle cells were positive. Thus, the group I antibodies appear specific for desmin and do not recognize other intermediate filament proteins. Group II monoclonals recognized not only desmin in the immune blot but also other polypeptides. The epitope of this class is located between residues 70 and 280. In immunofluorescence on cell lines and tissues, the staining patterns of group II antibodies were more complicated and demonstrate that not only other intermediate filament proteins but also additional antigenic determinants are being recognized. The group I antibodies stain, as expected from their desmin specificity, rat and human rhabdomyosarcomas and thus appear to be useful reagents in pathology.     

Characterization and distribution of multiple antigens on N-linked oligosaccharides of Dictyostelium discoideum proteins

Monoclonal antibodies were prepared against a mixture of purified lysosomal enzymes from Dictyostelium discoideum. Three classes of antibodies were found which recognized distinct antigenic determinants on N-linked oligosaccharides of multiple proteins. The structure of the determinants was studied by competition assays using monosaccharides and oligosaccharide/glycopeptide fractions prepared from one Dictyostelium lysosomal enzyme or other sources. The results of these studies suggest that one class of antibody recognizes an epitope containing residues of Man-6-SO4, another recognizes a domain containing a modified GlcNAc, and the third class recognizes an undefined determinant that involves the oligosaccharide. The three determinants are found on multiple overlapping, but nonidentical sets of glycoproteins. The ability to produce monoclonal antibodies against unusual N-linked oligosaccharides offers a powerful tool which can be used to investigate the occurrence, structure, biosynthesis, and the biological roles of these highly immunogenic saccharides.     

Use of monoclonal antibodies in comparative studies of Ca, Mg-dependent endonuclease in cell nuclei

Eight hybridoma cell lines derived from fusion between myeloma X-63 and mouse splenocytes were found to secrete monoclonal antibodies against Ca/Mg-dependent endonuclease of human spleen cell nuclei. Two of them, termed N and S, were used in comparative research of enzymes from different organs and species of animals. The data obtained show that N and S antibodies recognize different antigenic determinants of the enzyme molecule. Cross-reactions of antibodies with different antigens having similar antigenic determinants, exist in Ca/Mg-endonuclease of such species as man, mouse, rat and cattle. The evolutionary conservatism of this enzyme is suggested. The data show that the existence of tissue-specific (thymus-specific and spleen-specific) isoforms of Ca/Mg-endonuclease of cell nuclei is possible.     

A single mutation prevents the normal intracellular transport of multiple lysosomal proteins from the rough endoplasmic reticulum

Dictyostelium discoideum strain HMW-426 has been previously shown to be defective in the proteolytic processing of the lysosomal enzyme precursor to alpha-mannosidase. We have now shown that the mutant is defective in the proteolytic processing of a second lysosomal enzyme, beta-glucosidase. Digestion of the HMW-426 alpha-mannosidase and beta-glucosidase precursors with endoglycosidase H revealed that the majority of oligosaccharide side chains on both precursors were sensitive to cleavage by this enzyme, indicating that both precursors fail to reach the Golgi apparatus. Subcellular fractionation experiments demonstrated that these two mutant precursors accumulated inside the lumen of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The alpha-mannosidase precursor is conformationally altered, as evidenced by its abnormal protease susceptibility, suggesting that altered conformation is responsible for a generalized defect in transport of lysosomal protein precursors from the rough endoplasmic reticulum in the mutant.     

Lysosomal enzymes possess a common antigenic determinant in the cellular slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum

Antisera have been prepared against two lysosomal enzymes of the cellular slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum. The two purified enzyme preparations used for immunization, N-acetylglucosaminidase and beta-glucosidase-1, show no cross-contamination with each other and no significant contamination by other lysosomal enzymes. However, antisera raised against either enzyme bind equally well to seven different lysosomal enzymes and show no preference for the enzyme against which they were raised. A total of 10 different antisera have been examined and all show similar results. Preadsorption of antisera with either purified enzyme removes all antibody activity against the other enzyme. Evidence is presented which indicates that the same species of antibodies are responsible for the precipitation of seven lysosomal enzymes. These data are discussed in terms of the proposal that the antigen that is shared by the lysosomal enzymes is a post-translational modification of the enzyme proteins. We have sought to further characterize the distribution of this common antigen among cellular proteins. We show that N-acetylglucosaminidase and beta-glucosidase-1 represent less than 5% of the total common antigen containing proteins in the cell. Precipitation of 35S-labeled cellular proteins from vegetative cells indicates that as much as 15-30% of the total cell protein may possess the common antigen. Preadsorption experiments confirm that all of the proteins immunoprecipitated in these experiments are recognized by the same antibodies that precipitate the lysosomal enzyme activities. Most of the labeled proteins are secreted into the medium along with the lysosomal enzyme activities during axenic growth. During the developmental phase of the life cycle of Dictyostelium, the total amount of the common antigen decreases about 2-fold relative to total cell protein. However, the synthesis of antigenic proteins continues throughout most of development.     

Inhibition of early but not late proteolytic processing events leads to the missorting and oversecretion of precursor forms of lysosomal enzymes in Dictyostelium discoideum

Lysosomal enzymes are initially synthesized as precursor polypeptides which are proteolytically cleaved to generate mature forms of the enzymatically active protein. The identification of the proteinases involved in this process and their intracellular location will be important initial steps in determining the role of proteolysis in the function and targeting of lysosomal enzymes. Toward this end, axenically growing Dictyostelium discoideum cells were pulse radiolabeled with [35S]methionine and chased in fresh growth medium containing inhibitors of aspartic, metallo, serine, or cysteine proteinases. Cells exposed to the serine/cysteine proteinase inhibitors leupeptin and antipain and the cysteine proteinase inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-L-phenylalanyl-L-alanine-diazomethyl ketone (Z-Phe- AlaCHN2) were unable to complete proteolytic processing of the newly synthesized lysosomal enzymes, alpha-mannosidase and beta-glucosidase. Antipain and leupeptin treatment resulted in both a dramatic decrease in the efficiency of proteolytic processing, as well as a sevenfold increase in the secretion of alpha-mannosidase and beta-glucosidase precursors. However, leupeptin and antipain did not stimulate secretion of lysosomally localized mature forms of the enzymes suggesting that these inhibitors prevent the normal sorting of lysosomal enzyme precursors to lysosomes. In contrast to the results observed for cells treated with leupeptin or antipain, Z-Phe-AlaCHN2 did not prevent the cleavage of precursor polypeptides to intermediate forms of the enzymes, but greatly inhibited the production of the mature enzymes. The accumulated intermediate forms of the enzymes, however, were localized to lysosomes. Finally, fractionation of cell extracts on Percoll gradients indicated that the processing of radiolabeled precursor forms of alpha-mannosidase and beta-glucosidase to intermediate products began in cellular compartments intermediate in density between the Golgi complex and mature lysosomes. The generation of the mature forms, in contrast, was completed immediately upon or soon after arrival in lysosomes. Together these results suggest that different proteinases residing in separate intracellular compartments may be involved in generating intermediate and mature forms of lysosomal enzymes in Dictyostelium discoideum, and that the initial cleavage of the precursors may be critical for the proper localization of lysosomal enzymes.     

Sulfated oligosaccharides block antibodies to many Dictyostelium discoideum acid hydrolases

The lysosomal hydrolases of the cellular slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum, possess a common posttranslational modification which is extremely antigenic in rabbits and mice. Rabbit antisera and mouse monoclonal antibodies that recognize this determinant cross-react with a group of at least 40-50 highly negatively charged proteins which include most or all of the lysosomal enzymes. (Knecht, D. A., Dimond, R. L., Wheeler, S., and Loomis, W. F. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 10633-10640). The present study demonstrates that the determinant is found on certain N-linked oligosaccharides derived from one of these proteins. An esterified sulfate is absolutely required for antigenicity.     

Processing, transport, and secretion of the lysosomal enzyme acid phosphatase in Dictyostelium discoideum

To explain the different secretion kinetics of lysosomal enzymes in Dictyostelium discoideum, previous investigators have hypothesized the existence of a heterogeneous population of lysosomes containing either the enzyme acid phosphatase or other hydrolase enzymes. This proposal predicts that at least two targeting mechanisms exist for lysosomal enzymes in this organism. To begin to investigate this possibility, the transport, processing, and targeting of acid phosphatase was studied by using a combination of radiolabel pulse-chase procedures, subcellular fractionations, and indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. Acid phosphatase was initially synthesized in axenically growing cells as a 56-kDa precursor polypeptide that was proteolytically processed after 20 min to a 55-kDa mature protein. This enzyme was rapidly transported from the endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi complex (halftime of 3 min) as measured by the acquisition of resistance to the enzyme endoglycosidase H. Furthermore, Percoll gradient fractionations indicated that radiolabeled forms of acid phosphatase reached dense lysosomal vesicles at about the same time as final processing was occurring. Proper sorting of acid phosphatase in D. discoideum apparently was not critically dependent on low intravacuolar pH since the addition of ammonium chloride did not stimulate the missorting and secretion of acid phosphatase. These results are very similar to previous observations concerning other Dictyostelium lysosomal enzymes. Consistent with the existence of a heterogeneus population of lysosomes, the percentage of radiolabeled acid phosphatase secreted 4 h into a chase period was 15-fold lower as compared with another lysosomal enzyme, beta-glucosidase. However, acid phosphatase, alpha-mannosidase, and beta-glucosidase were all predominantly colocalized as determined by indirect immunofluorescence, which for the first time demonstrates the homogeneous nature of the lysosomal system in D. discoideum. Taken together these results suggest that the processing and transport of acid phosphatase may be similar in nature to the glycosidases. However, the different kinetics of secretion of acid phosphatase versus the colocalized glycosidase enzymes suggests that an undefined mechanism operates to distinguish these classes of enzymes at a step after localization to lysosomes but prior to secretion.     

Assignment of the gene for acid beta-glucosidase to human chromosome 1.

The structural gene for human acid beta-glucosidase (GBA) has been assigned to chromosome 1 using somatic cell hybridization techniques for gene mapping. The human enzyme was detected in mouse RAG cell-human fibroblast cell hybrids by a sensitive double antibody immunoprecipitation assay using a mouse antihuman GBA antibody. No cross-reactivity between mouse beta-glucosidase and human GBA or neutral beta-glucosidase (GBN) was observed. Fifty-two primary, secondary, and tertiary manmouse hybrid lines, derived from three separate fusion experiments, were analyzed for human GBA and enzyme markers for the human chromosomes. Without exception, the presence of human GBA in these hybrid clones was correlated with the presence of human chromosome 1 or its enzymatic markers, phosphoglucomutase 1 (PGM1), and fumarate hydratase (FH). All other human chromosomes were eliminated by the independent segregation of GBA and their respective enzyme markers and/or chromosomes. Using a RAG X human fibroblast line with a mouse-human rearrangement of human chromosome 1, the locus for GBA was limited to the region 1p11 to 1qter.     

Developmentally regulated expression of temporally distinct beta-glucosidase isozymes in Dictyostelium discoideum

During development of Dictyostelium discoideum, the cellular specific activity of beta-glucosidase increases before aggregation, declines to low levels during pseudoplasmodium formation, and increases rapidly during culmination. In addition, two electrophoretically distinct isozymes of beta-glucosidase are present at different times of development. Using enzyme-specific monoclonal antibodies, we have shown that changes in the level of enzyme specific activity are closely paralleled by changes in the relative rate of beta-glucosidase synthesis in vivo and by corresponding changes in the relative cellular concentration of functional beta-glucosidase mRNA. Thus, the developmental synthesis of beta-glucosidase is controlled at a pretranslational level. Furthermore, our experiments have demonstrated that both beta-glucosidase isozymes consist of a single subunit of identical molecular weight. This result is consistent with the previous finding that both isozymes are encoded by the same gene and suggests that the isozymes differ solely with respect to post-translational modification.     

A single retroviral gag precursor signal peptide recognized by FBL-3 tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

Several dominant T-cell receptors of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) clones specific for FBL-3 tumor antigen were clonally amplified in mixed lymphocyte tumor cell cultures derived from an individual immune mouse. Every CTL clone analyzed had a common specificity for a single epitope in the precursor to cell membrane-associated nonstructural gag-encoded protein, Pr75gag, which can be minimally identified by nine amino acid residues, SIVLCCLCL. This epitope is located within the hydrophobic signal sequence motif that mediates translocation of the protein into the endoplasmic reticulum. These novel observations suggest that expression of Pr75gag in FBL-3 tumor cells led to the amplification of CTLs which recognize the signal sequence of the nonstructural gag-encoded glycoprotein precursor.     

Role of acidic intracellular compartments in the biosynthesis of Dictyostelium lysosomal enzymes. The weak bases ammonium chloride and chloroquine differentially affect proteolytic processing and sorting

Radiolabel pulse-chase and subcellular fractionation procedures were used to analyze the transport, proteolytic processing, and sorting of two lysosomal enzymes in Dictyostelium discoideum cells treated with the weak bases ammonium chloride and chloroquine. Dictyostelium lacks detectable cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptors and represents an excellent system to investigate alternative mechanisms for lysosomal enzyme targeting. Exposure of growing cells to ammonium chloride, which increased the pH in intracellular vacuoles from 5.4 to 5.8-6.1, slowed but did not prevent the proteolytic processing and correct localization of pulse-radiolabeled precursors to the lysosomal enzymes alpha-mannosidase and beta-glucosidase. Additionally, ammonium chloride did not affect transport of the enzymes to the Golgi complex, as they acquired resistance to the enzyme endoglycosidase H at the same rate as in control cells. When the pH of lysosomal and endosomal organelles was raised to 6.4 with higher concentrations of ammonium chloride, the percentage of secreted (apparently mis-sorted) precursor polypeptides increased slightly, but proteolytic processing of intermediate forms of lysosomal enzymes to mature forms was greatly reduced. The intermediate and mature forms of alpha-mannosidase and beta-glucosidase did, however, accumulate intracellularly in vesicles similar in density to lysosomes. In contrast, in cells exposed to low concentrations of chloroquine the intravacuolar pH increased only slightly (to 5.7); however, enzymes were inefficiently processed and, instead, rapidly secreted as precursor molecules. Experiments involving the addition of chloroquine at various times during the chase of pulse-radiolabeled cells demonstrated that this weak base acted on a distal Golgi or prelysosomal compartment to prevent the normal sorting of lysosomal enzymes. These results suggest that although acidic endosomal/lysosomal compartments may be important for the complete proteolytic processing of lysosomal enzymes in Dictyostelium, low pH is not essential for the proper targeting of precursor polypeptides. Furthermore, certain amines may induce mis-sorting of these enzymes by pH-independent mechanisms.     

beta-Glucosidase inhibition in murine peritoneal macrophages by conduritol-B-epoxide: an in vitro model of the Gaucher cell

Murine peritoneal macrophages were cultured in the presence of conduritol-B-epoxide, a specific covalent inhibitor of beta-glucosidase. The inhibition was found to be dose and time dependent. Upon removal of the inhibitor from the culture medium, beta-glucosidase activity recovered to half maximum by 2.2 days. Treatment of macrophages with this inhibitor for 15 days did not affect cell viability, lysosomal enzyme release to the medium, or levels of intracellular lysosomal enzymes, other than beta-glucosidase activity. This inhibition results in the accumulation of glucocerebroside. In vitro studies on the pathobiology of such macrophages whose beta-glucosidase activity has been reduced may be useful toward understanding the pathogenesis of Gaucher disease.     

Developmental changes in the modification of lysosomal enzymes in Dictyostelium discoideum

Evidence has been found for a generalized change in the post-translational modification of lysosomal enzymes during development of Dictyostelium discoideum. The physical and antigenic properties of four developmentally regulated lysosomal enzymes, N-acetylglucosaminidase, beta-glucosidase, alpha-mannosidase, and acid phosphatase, have been examined throughout the life cycle. In vegetative cells, a single major isoelectric species is detected for each enzymatic activity on native nonequilibrium isoelectric focusing gels. Between 6 and 10 hr of development, all activities, including the preformed enzyme, become less negatively charged, resulting in a modest but reproducible shift in the isoelectric focusing pattern. This alteration is not detected by native gel electrophoresis at constant pH. As development continues, the specific activity of beta-glucosidase, alpha-mannosidase, and acid phosphatase continues to increase and coincidentally, new, less acidic isozymic bands of activity can be observed on both gel systems. Some of these new isozymes accumulate preferentially in anterior cells, while others accumulate preferentially in posterior cells of migrating slugs. N-Acetylglucosaminidase does not increase in specific activity late in development and no new isozymic species appear. Using a monoclonal antibody that reacts with sulfated N-linked oligosaccharides shared by vegetative lysosomal enzymes in D. discoideum, the antigenicity of the developmental isozymes has been characterized. All of the enzymatic activity present during vegetative growth and early development is immunoprecipitable. However, the less negatively charged isozymes that accumulate after aggregation are not recognized by the antibody. Nonantigenic acid phosphatase and alpha-mannosidase are found in both anterior and posterior cells from migrating pseudoplasmodia. Since each enzyme is coded by a single structural gene, these results suggest that the isozymes present late in development arise from the synthesis of the same polypeptides with altered post-translational modifications. The appearance of anterior and posterior specific isozymes is likely to be the result of cell type specific changes in the glycoprotein modification pathway for newly synthesized proteins.     

Identification of the chick neural retina cell surface N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase using monoclonal antibodies

Intact embryonic chick neural retina cells have at their surface an N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase which catalyzes the incorporation of N-acetylgalactosamine from UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine into endogenous macromolecular acceptors. The enzyme along with its endogenous acceptors can be isolated as a particulate complex following treatment of membrane-enriched fractions with Triton X-100. In this paper we report on two separate fusions generating monoclonal antibodies: one using as immunogen the particulate complex and the second using as immunogen a soluble N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase found in tissue-culture-conditioned medium which lacks endogenous acceptor activity. Antibodies from both fusions recognize an antigen which is tightly associated with the particulate transferase/acceptor complex and a soluble antigen having N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase activity toward exogenously added acceptors. The antibodies recognize a component of ca Mr 220,000, which shows N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase activity after SDS-gel electrophoresis and transfer to nitrocellulose. This component comigrates on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis with an iodinatable cell surface component whose presence at the cell surface correlates with endogenous transferase activity. We conclude that the antibodies recognize the transferase enzyme itself. Immunohistochemical analysis shows that the enzyme is initially localized throughout the embryonic neural retina in a pattern indicative of a cell surface disposition but becomes restricted to the outer plexiform layer and to outer segments in the adult.     

A Dictyostelium discoideum mutant that missorts and oversecretes lysosomal enzyme precursors is defective in endocytosis

A mutant strain of Dictyostelium discoideum, HMW570, oversecretes several lysosomal enzyme activities during growth. Using a radiolabel pulse-chase protocol, we followed the synthesis and secretion of two of these enzymes, alpha-mannosidase and beta-glucosidase. A few hours into the chase period, HMW570 had secreted 95% of its radiolabeled alpha- mannosidase and 86% of its radiolabeled beta-glucosidase as precursor polypeptides compared to the secretion of less than 10% of these forms from wild-type cells. Neither alpha-mannosidase nor beta-glucosidase in HMW570 were ever found in the lysosomal fractions of sucrose gradients consistent with HMW570 being defective in lysosomal enzyme targeting. Also, both alpha-mannosidase and beta-glucosidase precursors in the mutant strain were membrane associated as previously observed for wild- type precursors, indicating membrane association is not sufficient for lysosomal enzyme targeting. Hypersecretion of the alpha-mannosidase precursor by HMW570 was not accompanied by major alterations in N- linked oligosaccharides such as size, charge, and ratio of sulfate and phosphate esters. However, HMW570 was defective in endocytosis. A fluid phase marker, [3H]dextran, accumulated in the mutant at one-half of the rate of wild-type cells and to only one-half the normal concentration. Fractionation of cellular organelles on self-forming Percoll gradients revealed that the majority of the fluid-phase marker resided in compartments in mutant cells with a density characteristic of endosomes. In contrast, in wild-type cells [3H]dextran was predominantly located in vesicles with a density identical to secondary lysosomes. Furthermore, the residual lysosomal enzyme activity in the mutant accumulated in endosomal-like vesicles. Thus, the mutation in HMW570 may be in a gene required for both the generation of dense secondary lysosomes and the sorting of lysosomal hydrolases.     

Regulation of lysosomal alpha-mannosidase-1 synthesis during development in Dictyostelium discoideum

The cellular specific activity of lysosomal alpha-mannosidase-1 increases dramatically during development in Dictyostelium discoideum. alpha-Mannosidase-1 is composed of two subunits (Mr = 58,000 and 60,000) which are derived from a common precursor polypeptide (Mr = 140,000). Using enzyme-specific monoclonal antibodies we have determined that throughout development (a) the relative rate of precursor biosynthesis closely parallels the rate of accumulation of cellular enzyme activity and (b) the newly synthesized precursor is efficiently processed to mature enzyme (t1/2 less than 10 min). This indicates that the developmental accumulation of alpha-mannosidase-1 activity is primarily controlled by de novo enzyme synthesis. Furthermore, the change in the relative rate of enzyme precursor synthesis can be accounted for by an increase in the cellular level of functional alpha-mannosidase-1 mRNA during development.     

Identification of an immunodominant B cell epitope on the hepatitis C virus nonstructural region defined by human monoclonal antibodies.

Several EBV-transformed B cell lines (BCL) were obtained from two patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection that secreted IgG class antibodies to the HCV nonstructural Ag c100-3. Two cloned BCL, derived from the same parental line, generated stable cloned lines that secreted up to 20 mg/liter of specific IgG1(kappa). Supernatants from oligoclonal and cloned BCL were also analyzed by immunoblot and all strongly reacted with recombinant polypeptides derived from the putative NS4 region of HCV, c100-3 and 5-1-1 (a 42-amino acid fragment of c100-3), whereas no reaction with the viral nucleoprotein, the NS3 nonstructural protein or the superoxide dismutase moiety of the c100-3 fusion protein could be documented. The fine specificity of these antibodies was also evaluated using overlapping synthetic peptides (20-mers) covering the 5-1-1 sequence. All oligoclonal and clonal IgG displayed high affinity binding to peptides covering residues 120-137 of Chiron's c100-3 sequence at the aminoterminus of 5-1-1. In addition, a minimal B cell epitope, N-VLYREF-C, was defined by human oligoclonal and monoclonal antibodies corresponding to residues 132-137. Interestingly, predominant recognition of the N-terminus of 5-1-1 was also observed in more than 80% of sera from patients with HCV infection. In conclusion, we have successfully produced human B cell cloned lines that secrete abundant quantities of IgG1(kappa)-specific for a polypeptide encoded by the NS4 region of HCV. Such antibodies recognize an immunodominant epitope, relative to this region, located at the N-terminus of the 5-1-1 fragment.