Hapten mimic elicits antibodies recognizing prostaglandin E2.

Abstract

Antibodies that recognized the prostaglandin(PG)E structure were elicited from rabbits. 9-Deoxy-9-methylene-PGF2.alpha., a stable isosteric mimic of PGE2, was conjugated to 2 different protein immunogens and the immune response system was duped into producing antibodies with poor recognition for prostaglandins other than the hapten mimic (9-deoxy-9-methylene-PGF2.alpha.) and its isosteric counterparts (PGE1 and PGE2). With this procedure, crossreaction that ordinarily arises from the chemical or metabolic instability of an authentic PGE2 immunogen was avoided. Antibodies raised against a keyhole limpet hemocyanin conjugate of 9-deoxy-9-methylene-PGF2.alpha. had an average intrinsic association constant, K0 = 2.6 .times. 109 l.cntdot.mol-1, for PGE2. Crossreaction was low for a number of related prostaglandins and a sensitive radioimmunoassay procedure with a detection limit of 6 pg was developed.