title: Functional effects of a monoclonal antibody on mechanoelectrical transduction in outer hair cells.
abstract: The functional effect of a monoclonal antibody, RA6.3, on mechanoelectrical transduction (MET) of outer hair cells (OHCs) isolated from the adult guinea-pig cochlea was investigated. This antibody was raised by an antiidiotypic approach against amiloride binding sites. RA6.3 irreversibly reduced the receptor current, independent of membrane potential. The time course of the functional block was independent of dilution (1:100, 50 and 10), beginning 1.2+/-0.5 min after the start of application and decreasing exponentially with a time constant of 0.29+/-0.18 min to 53+/-8% of the control current. The residual current was reversibly blocked by amiloride (300 microM), mainly at negative membrane potentials. Block of control current by amiloride was competitively inhibited by simultaneous application of RA6.3. These results suggest that RA6.3 binds to or in close proximity to amiloride receptor sites associated with the MET channels. Irreversibility, incompleteness, independence of membrane potential and independence of antibody dilution of the functional block can all be explained by irreversible binding of one antibody molecule to a receptor site, yielding a non-blocked state, followed by a relatively slow, reversible transition to a blocked state. It is proposed that the reversible transition might represent intramolecular binding of the second antibody combining site to the second receptor site.
authors.affiliation: Section of Physiological Acoustics and Communication, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Tübingen, Silcherstr. 5, 72076, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Schulte
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: David N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Furness
authors.forename: Carole M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hackney
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Kleyman
authors.forename: Anthony W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Gummer
mesh_terms: D000584:Amiloride / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001665:Binding Sites; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D018072:Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007632:Keratan Sulfate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D018716:Molecular Mimicry
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000584:Amiloride; D007632:Keratan Sulfate