Characterization and application of monoclonal antibodies directed to separate epitopes of glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase

Abstract Five monoclonal antibodies specific for glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase were characterized. None of the monoclonal antibodies cross-reacted with another insulin-degrading enzyme, neutral thiopeptidase. The isotype of four antibodies was IgG1 and of the fifth IgG2b. Affinity studies, competitive binding studies and immunoblot analysis of CNBr and trypsin cleavage products of glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase demonstrated that the four IgG1 antibodies were directed to an epitope of the enzyme which was distinct from the epitope recognized by the IgG2b antibody. Inhibition studies indicated that each monoclonal antibody, when added singly to glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase, was unable to inhibit the insulin-degrading activity of the enzyme. However, when monoclonal antibodies directed against separate epitopes of glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase were presented together (i.e., the IgG2b with any one of the four IgG1 antibodies), a loss in enzymatic activity was noted. Immunoblot analysis of rat organ extracts with the IgG1 antibodies demonstrated one immunoreactive protein band of M r 56000 in all tissues examined (liver, fat, pancreas and kidney) except the spleen, which demonstrated two immunoreactive protein bands of M r 56 000 and 51 000. The same immunoblots, when probed with the IgG2b antibody, demonstrated the same immunoreactive protein banding pattern as above plus an additional immunoreactive protein band of M r 67 000 in all tissues. Studies with spleen extracts from steptozotocin-induced diabetic rats demonstrated that there was a loss of the 51 000 immunoreactive band in diabetes. This 51 000 protein was restored upon insulin treatment of the diabetic rats and nullified upon concomitant administration of cycloheximide or actinomycin D with insulin. Immunoblots of human liver, adipose and skeletal muscle extracts indicated that each monoclonal antibody cross-reacted with the human form of the enzyme which had a molecular weight of M r 63 000; a second minor immunoreactive band of 67 000 was detected with the IgG2b antibody. The physiological significance of additional molecular forms of the enzyme (i.e., 67 000 and 51 000) remains to be determined.