Immuno cross-reactivity suggests that catecholamine biosynthesis enzymes and beta adrenergic receptors may be related

Turkey red blood cell (RBC), Beta/sub 1/-adrenergic receptors (Bar) were prepared to electrophoretic homogeneity and denatured protein used to prepare rabbit anti-Bar antibodies. Anti-Bar activity was confirmed by immuno-adsorption of (/sup 125/I) cyanopindolol (CYP) labeled Bar. The catecholamine biosynthetic enzyme dopamine beta hydroxylase (DBH) was purified from bovine adrenal medullae chromaffin vesicles by ion exchange, size exclusion and concanavalin-A-Sepharose chromatography. Final DBH specific activities were 42 +/- 4 U/mg protein. Homogeneity was confirmed by non-denaturing PAGE. Bar was compared to DBH by anti-Bar antibody cross-reactivity. DBH and Bar were recognized by anti-Bar antibodies on immunoblotting. No interactions were observed with preimmune controls. Similar results were obtained with glycosylated and deglycosylated DBH suggesting that the antibodies recognize DBH amino acid sequence and not associated carbohydrate. Cross-reactive antibodies were purified by affinity chromatography using immobilized DBH and shown to immuno-adsorb (/sup 125/I)CYP labeled Bar. These results suggest that the catecholamine biosynthetic enzyme DBH and Bar may be related in structure.