Monoclonal antibody to 2-amino-3-methylimidazo(4,5-f)quinoline, a dietary carcinogen.

In order to investigate relationships between human carcinogenesis and dietary carcinogens, one hybridoma cell line secreting a monoclonal antibody against 2-amino-3-methylimidazo(4,5-f)quinoline (IQ), a dietary carcinogen, was produced by fusing splenocytes from Balb/c mice immunized with IQ-Lysine(Lys)-Ascaris protein conjugate. The subclass of monoclonal anti-IQ antibody was determined by double immunodiffusion using culture medium and identified as IgG1. Monoclonal anti-IQ antibody was purified from ascites fluids of Balb/c mice with affinity chromatography on Protein A-Sepharose CL4B and analyzed concerning its cross-reactivity and sensitivity with RIA. Finally, we showed that our monoclonal antibody recognized IQ, 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo(4,5-f)quinoline (MeIQ) and several beta-carbolines more intensely and that the sensitivity to IQ was 23 nmol in 50% displacement.