Acetylcholinesterase of human erythrocytes and neuromuscular junctions: homologies revealed by monoclonal antibodies.

Human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase was used to immunize mice, and hybridomas were generated by fusion of mouse spleen cells with cells of the Sp 2/0 myeloma cell line. Five independently derived hybridoma clones produced antibodies that bound to purified erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase. All of these antibodies crossreacted with human and monkey neuromuscular junctions; immunocytochemical staining patterns corresponded to the distribution of junctional acetylcholinesterase. The monoclonal antibodies fell into at least four categories based on differences in crossreactivity with neuromuscular acetylcholinesterase of rabbit, dog, calf, and guinea pig, and competition tests indicated that the antibodies defined five different antigenic sites on the acetylcholinesterase molecule. It is concluded that there is a high level of homology between the acetylcholinesterases of erythrocytes and neuromuscular junctions.