Preparation and characterization of monoclonal antibodies specific to synthetic peptide of carcinoembryonic antigen.

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were prepared to a synthetic peptide (PI: 119-140 amino acids) in domain 1 of the carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) molecule. The majority of the amino acids in peptide PI show a hydrophilic character, and similar sequences are repeated in domains I, II and III of this molecule. These MAbs appear to recognize new epitopes of CEA, since representative conventional MAbs to CEA do not show reactivity to synthetic peptide PI. The resulting MAbs were divided into 2 groups; group 1 (MAb PI-706) reacted with peptide PI, but not with purified CEA preparation, while group 2 (MAb PI-234 and PI-255) reacted with either type of antigen, in the immunoblotting assay using purified CEA and in immunostaining of colonic carcinoma tissues. Furthermore, group-1 MAb PI-706 was reactive to purified CEA after treatment with periodate.