Immunogenicity of a free synthetic peptide: carrier-conjugation enhances antibody affinity for the native protein.

The synthetic peptide 166-174 of hCS sequence, corresponding to an antigenic determinant of the protein, was used to elicit MAbs to the native hCS molecule. The synthetic peptide was administered according to different immunization protocols to BALB/c mice, both in the free form or conjugated to carrier proteins. Spleens and popliteal lymph nodes from primed mice were fused with a myeloma cell line to produce MAbs, and selected clones were characterized for isotype and affinity. Spleen fusions gave rise to IgM MAbs, whereas lymph node fusions gave preferentially IgG MAbs. No correlation was found between antibody class and affinity since affinity is highly increased by carrier-conjugation, while it did not enhance IgG production. The free synthetic peptide showed a low immunogenicity: affinities of MAbs produced ranged from 10(5) to 10(7) l/mole, an average 1000-fold lower than the values obtained with carrier-conjugated peptide. In one case, however, carrier conjugation did not give rise to anti-hCS MAbs. Overall, these studies provide a rational approach to the production of anti-protein MAbs by synthetic peptide immunization and offer the opportunity to obtain MAbs of the desired isotype and affinity.