The production of high affinity monoclonal antibodies to progesterone.
Using different immunisation regimens and the antigens 6 beta-hydroxyprogesterone hemisuccinate and 11 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone hemisuccinate conjugated to bovine serum albumin, we have produced 35 monoclonal antibodies against progesterone with a wide range of specificities and affinities (Ka = 8 x 10(7)-3 x 10(10) M-1). The 10 antibodies raised against the 6 beta-antigen showed no advantage in terms of specificity when compared with those raised against the 11 alpha-antigen. The four antibodies with the best binding characteristics were all derived from fusion experiments performed after long (5 booster injections) immunisation with the 11 alpha-antigen. Although the specificities of these monoclonal antibodies were similar to those of a high affinity rabbit antiserum raised against the same antigen, a measurable improvement in sensitivity was obtained when one of these four antibodies was used for radioimmunoassay.
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002459:Cell Fusion; D002460:Cell Line; D003429:Cross Reactions; D005260:Female; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010954:Plasmacytoma; D011374:Progesterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D011374:Progesterone