Immunological study of ovarian inhibin.

Antisera to purified porcine follicular fluid inhibin of 32 K protein (pFF 32 K inhibin) were raised in rabbits. Increasing doses of an antiserum with high titer could neutralize the maximal suppression of FSH secretion caused by 10 ng of pFF 32 K inhibin from rat anterior pituitary cells in culture. A radioimmunoassay was developed using the antiserum and 125I-labelled pFF 32 K inhibin. Specificity of the antiserum was examined by comparing immunological and biological potencies of various inhibin preparations. Cross-reactivity tests revealed that the antiserum almost recognizes rat ovarian inhibin preparations. The antiserum also recognizes purified bovine follicular fluid inhibin of 32 K protein (bFF 32 K inhibin), but with a cross-reactivity of approximately 20%. Cross-reactivity of human follicular fluid to the antiserum was less than 10%. The antiserum also recognizes inhibin forms of higher molecular weights, 100 K, 80 K, and 55 K proteins, which have previously been identified by gel filtration or SDS-PAGE of crude pFF inhibin preparations under protein-dissociation conditions, indicating that these inhibin forms have common or closely related immunodetermining sites.