Monoclonal Antibodies to Mammalian Carnosine Synthetase

A set of mouse monoclonal antibodies has been generated against rabbit muscle carnosine synthetase. The immunoreactivity of these antibodies has been characterized using an immunoassay that permits the separation and direct measurement of the synthetase activity on a second antibody bead complex. Four IgG monoclonal antibodies bind the carnosine synthetase activity from muscle of all mammals tested (mouse, rat, rabbit, cow, dog, and monkey) but not that from chicken muscle. This indicates the mammalian enzymes share epitopes that are absent from the avian enzyme. In addition, relative tissue levels of synthetase activity can be quantified with this immunoassay. Thus, high levels of carnosine synthetase activity are immunoprecipitated from the olfactory tissues of both rat and rabbit. Synthetase activity is generally lower in other tissues (muscle, brain, heart, liver, and gut). Nevertheless, the cross-reactivity of the synthetase from several tissues (olfactory mucosa, muscle, brain, gut, heart, and liver) of a single species indicates the enzyme protein contains similar epitopes in these tissues. Immunoaffinity purification of this low-abundance, unstable enzyme should now be possible for subsequent studies of structure and regulation.