An indirect radioimmunoassay for mouse casein using 125I-labeled antigen.

A new indirect radioimmunoassay was developed for detection of casein in mouse milk and in mammary tissue extract. Preincubation of rabbit gamma globulin to mouse milk casein (Ca2+-rennin precipitate) with unlabeled casein, milk, extracts of mammary tissues of late pregnancy and lactation, virtually blocked subsequent binding of 125I-labeled mouse milk casein to the antibody. Preincubation with mouse serum, bovine serum albumin, rennin, extracts of liver or immature mammary tissue had little effect on [125I]casein binding to the antibody. The inability of [125I]casein to bind to the antibody after preincubation with protein samples, which are likely to contain casein, is indicative of a specific antigen-antibody reaction. The assay is capable of detecting 0.2 mug casein, 1 mug milk proteins and 10 mug lactating mammary tissue extract. The application of the assay was also demonstrated using organ culture of the entire mammary gland. The glands treated with the lactogenic hormones, insulin + prolactin + cortisol, showed a saturation level of antibody-antigen reaction, indicating hormonal induction of casein; whereas, no reaction was observed with the non-treated gland.