Iodoacetamide treatment of bovine leukemia virus glycoprotein gp51 enhances the western blotting reactivity of anti-peptide antibodies.

Rabbit polyclonal antibodies were raised against synthetic peptides of the bovine leukemia virus envelope glycoprotein gp51 and tested against the full size protein by the Western blotting technique. We show that acetylation of gp51 by iodoacetamide either maintains or significantly increases the antigen-antibody reaction and conclude therefrom that the reactive potential of an anti-peptide antibody may require acetylation of the sulfhydryl groups of the blotted protein.