Assessment of estrogen receptor-monoclonal antibody interaction by high performance liquid chromatography

To define the interrelationships between the various isoforms of the estrogen receptors (ER), a monoclonal antibody-horse radish peroxidase conjugate H222 was used as a probe in conjunction with HPIEC (Synchrom AX-1000) and HPSEC (TSK-3000 SW Toyo Soda) columns. ER from breast tumors was assessed using (16..cap alpha..-/sup 125/I)-iodoestradiol-17..beta.. (3nM) +/-200 fold excess estradiol-17..beta.. and excess H222. When ER was analyzed by HPSEC (size and shape), with 400 mM KCl which caused the dissociation of ER into 4S isoforms, a shift in retension time to higher molecular weight species was seen. The H222 appeared to interact with most isoforms of ER. However, when ER was analyzed by HPIEC (surface charge) with H222, a shift in virtually all of the high salt (150mM) isoform to the flow-through was observed with only 46% shift in elution of the low salt (60-70mM) isoforms. H222 did not alter total ER binding capacity. These data suggest that H222 recognized discrete forms of the ER. Therefore, modification in the receptor may have occurred which masks or removes the antigenic determinant limiting the specificity of H222. These results indicate that H222 may be employed as a tool to elucidate the interrelationships between these ER species.