Epitope mapping of apamin by means of monoclonal antibodies raised against free or carrier-coupled peptide.
A panel of 20 monoclonal antibodies raised against the bee-venom peptide apamin (18 residues, 2 disulfide bridges) was prepared. Nine monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were obtained from a mouse immunized with free apamin and 11 from a mouse immunized with a mixture of free and carrier-coupled peptide. Using a panel of 11 synthetic apamin analogs, we examined the fine antigenic specificity of each antibody. The mAb generated against free apamin preferentially bound to the central part of the peptide and less frequently recognized the N- and C-terminal regions. However, monoclonal antibodies obtained by immunization with carrier-bound apamin showed a broader range of specificities, consistent with the possibility of the entire surface of this small antigen becoming immunogenic upon coupling to the carrier.
Laboratoire de Biochimie, Faculté de Médecine, CNRS UA 1179-INSERM U 172, Marseille, France.
M L
ML
Defendini
M
M
Pierres
A
A
Regnier-Vigouroux
H
H
Rochat
C
C
Granier
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D001030:Apamin / Q000276:immunology*; D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D000939:Epitopes; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001514:Bee Venoms; D000939:Epitopes; D010455:Peptides; D001030:Apamin