Production and characterization of polyclonal anti-S 20499 antibodies: influence of the hapten structure on stereospecificity

Development of enantioselective polyclonal antibodies to detect styrene oxide protein adducts

Styrene has been reported to be pneumotoxic and hepatotoxic in humans and animals. Styrene oxide, a major reactive metabolite of styrene, has been found to form covalent binding with proteins, such as albumin and hemoglobin. Styrene oxide has two optical isomers and it was reported that the (R)-enantiomer was more toxic than the (S)-enantiomer. The purpose of this study was to develop polyclonal antibodies that can stereoselectively recognize proteins modified by styrene oxide enantiomers at cysteine residues. Immunogens were prepared by alkylation of thiolated keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) with styrene oxide enantiomers. Polyclonal antibodies were raised by immunization of rabbits with the chiral immunogens. Titration tests showed all six rabbits generated high titers of antisera that recognize (R)- or (S)-coating antigens accordingly. No cross-reaction was observed toward the carrier protein (BSA). All three rabbits immunized with (R)-immunogen produced antibodies that show enantioselectivity to the corresponding antigen, while only one among the three rabbits immunized with (S)-immunogen generated antibodies with enantioselectivity of the recognition. The enantioselectivity was also observed in competitive ELISA and immunoblot analysis. Additionally, competitive ELISA tests showed that the immunorecognition required the hydroxyl group of the haptens. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that the immunorecognition depended on the amount of protein adducts blotted and hapten loading in protein adducts. In summary, we successfully developed polyclonal antibodies to stereoselectively detect protein adducts modified by styrene oxide enantiomers.

Effects of the competitor on antibody-hapten binding in immunoassays

The effects of competitors on antibody (Ab)-hapten binding in an immunoassay were investigated using a goat antimethamphetamine (MA) antibody (Ab). An N-4-aminobutyl derivative of methamphetamine (4-ABMA) was conjugated with keyhole limpet hemocyanine (KLH) and used as an immunogen. The antiserum was purified by affinity chromatography with various ligands, including 4-ABMA-protein conjugates, free haptens, and protein G. Direct and indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were conducted with a competitor of 4-ABMA-fluorescein isothiocyanate (4-ABMA-FITC). The results were compared to those of ELISA with a different competing antigen, 4-ABMA-ovalbumin (4-ABMA-OVA), in terms of sensitivity and specificity. In both direct and indirect assay formats, the sensitivity was much improved with 4-ABMA-FITC, compared to that with 4-ABMA-OVA, suggesting that different labels on the same haptenic moiety for competitors considerably influence the assay performance. All the purified Abs also showed a distinct feature of strong affinity for benzphetamine with 4-ABMA-FITC, whereas they had their respective binding specificities with 4-ABMA-OVA. Comparing the results to those from other assay systems, we determined that the assay sensitivity was dependent on both the system and the competitor employed, and that the specificity was primarily dependent on the competitor used.

Antibodies directed against L and D isovaline using a chemical derivatizing reagent for the measurement of their enantiomeric ratio in extraterrestrial samples: first step-production and characterization of antibodies

Determining the enantiomeric ratio of amino acids in meteorites requires very sensitive and precise measurements. In this study, an immunochemical approach, combined with new chemical derivatizing agents, was investigated for the measurement of the enantiomeric ratio of isovaline. In the initial step, L and D isovaline were derivatized with epsilon-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine-(t-butyl ester)-chloroethylnitrosourea (Z-L-Lys-(OtBu)-CENU). The Z group was hydrolyzed and the resulting isovaline derivatives (L-Lys(OtBu)-L-isovaline and L-Lys(OtBu)-D-isovaline) were conjugated with protein using glutaraldehyde and reduced with sodium borohydride. Rabbits were immunized with the immunogenic conjugates thus obtained. Antibodies were characterized using many compounds, both derivatized and underivatized, in competitive ELISA tests. These competition experiments performed enabled us to establish the following results: 1) unconjugated L-Lys(OtBu)-L-isovaline and L-Lys(OtBu)-D-isovaline were poorly recognized; 2) all related L-Lys(OtBu)-alpha-hydrogenated amino acids (L and D) were not recognized at all, which eliminates the possibility of the measurements being distorted by contamination; 3) only conjugated L-Lys(OtBu)-alpha-amino-isobutyric acid (AIB) was recognized by the antibody, 4) the enantiomeric discrimination of L and D isovaline through their derivatives (diastereoisomeric L-Lys(OtBu)-L-isovaline and L-Lys(OtBu)-D-isovaline) was in accordance with the measurement of their enantiomeric ratio. Immunopurification was shown to enhance antibody specificity. The strategy employed shows potential for the quantification of meteoritic amino acids.

Stereospecificity of antibody: quinine, the optical isomer of quinidine and anti-malarial drug chloroquine do not cross-react with quinidine immunoassays

Quinine is an optical isomer of quinidine. Both quinine and chloroquine (an aminoquinoline derivative) are used in treating malaria. The authors studied cross-reactivity of quinine and chloroquine with the quinidine immunoassays using the TDx and AxSYM analyzers (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL). The authors observed no cross-reactivity of chloroquine with quinidine immunoassays (TDx and AXSYM) even when drug-free serum was supplemented with 1000 microg/mL chloriquine. The authors observed no cross-reactivity of quinine up to a concentration of 250 microg/mL. At higher concentrations, the authors observed a small cross-reactivity. The cross-reactivity of a substance should be studied in the presence of the primary analyte. When serum pools prepared from patients receiving quinidine were supplemented with various concentrations of quinine or chloroquine, the authors observed statistically significant declines in quinidine concentrations with higher concentrations of both quinine and chloroquine. The authors observed significant cross-reactivity of L-amphetamine with the amphetamine immunoassay also marketed by Abbott Laboratories and run on the AxSYM analyzer. The authors conclude that although the antibody used in the quinidine assay is stereospecific, the antibody used in the amphetamine assay by the same manufacturer is not stereospecific.

Influence of the antibody purification method on immunoassay performance: hapten-antibody binding in accordance with the structure of the affinity column ligand

The effects of ligands for immunoaffinity chromatography on the immunoassay were investigated with three goat anti-methamphetamine (anti-MA) antibodies (Abs). An N-4-aminobutyl derivative of methamphetamine (4-ABMA) was conjugated with proteins and used as immunogens. All the antisera produced were purified by affinity chromatography with various ligands of 4-ABMA-proteins and of haptens as well as protein G: 4-ABMA-bovine serum albumin (4-ABMA-BSA), 4-ABMA-keyhole limpet hemocyanine (4-ABMA-KLH), 4-ABMA-ovalbumin (4-ABMA-OVA), MA, 4-ABMA, and amphetamine were used as ligands. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was conducted to examine characteristics of the purified Abs with the 4-ABMA-OVA competitor coated. The results obtained revealed that characters of the purified Abs were closely related with chemical structures of ligands used. The Abs from the MA and the amphetamine columns showed better sensitivities than those from the others in each antiserum. Particularly, the Ab from the amphetamine column gave the best results in terms of sensitivity and specificity. The recognition or the affinity of the Ab selected was considered to be affected by the structure of the ligand concerned. These results suggest that the Ab purification method should be considered as an important parameter which has great influence on the performance of immunoassays with polyclonal Abs.

Production and characterization of 22 monoclonal antibodies directed against S 20499, a new potent 5-HT1A chiral agonist: influence of the hapten structure on specificity and stereorecognition

PURPOSE

An immunoconjugate model was proposed to produce stereoselective monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) for the quantitation of a 5-HT1A agonist, S 20499. MAbs produced were characterized in terms of stereoselectivity and specificity towards the opposite enantiomer and structural analogs.

METHODS

The immunogen was formed following the effective addition of a butanoic acid spacer arm between the parent S 20499 structure and bovine serum albumin (BSA). After fusion (modified Köhler and Milstein's procedure), specificity of MAbs was obtained using the Abraham's criteria. Experimental and calculated partition coefficients were determined.

RESULTS

Twenty-two hybridoma cell lines were established secreting MAbs (apparent association constants ranging from 1.1 x 10(8) to 2.8 X 10(9) M(-1)). Several MAbs showed cross-reactivity levels of less than 5% with S 20500 (optical antipode), which could allow a stereospecific assay to be set up. Both chroman and azaspiro moieties were part of the epitopic site. Dealkylation and hydroxylation(s) led to various crossreactivity levels. Four antibody families were described in terms of specificity.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlighted the influence of the immunoconjugate construction (coupling site and type of spacer arm) in the immuno-stereospecificity of Abs. The results obtained for two monohydroxylated metabolites suggest that the lipophilicity behavior could be a valuable tool for predicting Ab-crossreactivity.

Stereoselectivity of antibodies for the bioanalysis of chiral drugs

The use of immunoassay techniques represents an alternative approach to the more common chromatographic methods for the determination of the concentrations of chiral drugs. In the development of the former technique, the inherent stereoselectivity of the antibodies used appears to be an important parameter to be studied. The structural features of the drug, including the environment around the asymmetric center, the flexibility of the molecule and the ability of the molecule to undergo racemization, contribute to the molecule's ability to be recognized by stereoselective antibodies. These parameters are intrinsic and can not be influenced by the investigator. On the other hand, other parameters can be modified to favor the raising of highly stereoselective antibodies. These include the synthesis of an appropriate hapten; the selection of an optimal spacer arm between the hapten and the carrier protein used for the immunization procedure; and the choice of appropriate immunization and antibody-screening procedures. The purification of antibodies using affinity chromatography may also facilitate the selection of stereoselective antibodies.