Reversal of transformed phenotype by monoclonal antibodies against Ha-ras p21 proteins

Abstract The transforming activities of p21 ras proteins have been determined by micro-injection of these proteins into NIH3T3 cells. In order to facilitate functional studies on the effect of ras proteins on malignant transformation and normal cellular growth, analysis has been made with three monoclonal antibodies (YA6-172, Y13-238 and Y13-259) as originally reported by Furth et al. (J virol 43 (1982) 294) [2]. Purified immunoglobulin of Y13-259 has the highest titer of binding to bacterially synthesized p21 ras proteins. Experimental analyses indicate that only Y13-259 antibody will neutralize the transforming activity of the co-injected bacterially synthesized ras protein and the neutralization effect was blocked by co-injection of excess ras protein. In addition, micro-injection of Y13-259 immunoglobulin into transformed NIH3T3 cells (obtained by DNA transfection of NIH3T3 cells with molecularly cloned ras gene) reversed their transformed phenotypes. These results indicate that both bacterially synthesized p21 ras proteins and the natural ras proteins produced in NIH3T3 cells were neutralized by Y13-259 antibody.