title: The generation of antibody combining sites containing catalytic residues.
abstract: To expand the scope of antibody-catalysed reactions to those involving rate-limiting proton abstraction, such as elimination, isomerization and condensation reactions, we developed a new strategy--hapten charge complementarity. A hapten containing a benzyl ammonium group was used to elicit a specific base, a carboxylate, in the combining site of an antibody that catalysed a beta-elimination reaction. This was the first example of the use of a hapten to elicit a specific catalytic residue in an antibody combining site. A variety of kinetic and chemical modification experiments strongly suggest that a specific Asp or Glu residue in the combining site is responsible for catalysis. Preliminary results indicate that in addition to charge-charge complementarity, the nucleophilic reactivity of amino acid residues (Ser, Thr, Lys, Asp, Glu, Cys) in antibodies can be used as a selection tool. Antibodies were raised against a reactive epoxide group to elicit an antibody containing a uniquely reactive carboxylate or thiol group. Antibodies which bind the epoxide do catalyse a beta-elimination reaction, indicating the presence of a specific base in the combining site. Antibodies elicited to two closely related haptens do not catalyse the beta-elimination reaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley 94720.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Shokat
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Schultz
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000378:metabolism*; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody / Q000502:physiology*; D002384:Catalysis; D004563:Electrochemistry; D006241:Haptens / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000941:Antigens; D006241:Haptens