Monoclonal antibody to the region of fibronectin involved in cross-linking to human fibrin.

A cross-link-containing fragment (alpha XLCNBr), derived from the alpha-polymer component of human fibrin following CNBr digestion, has been isolated and characterized. NH2-terminal sequence studies of three alpha XLCNBr derivatives, each prepared by a different method, indicate that the A alpha-chain regions comprised of residues 241-476 (CNBr VIII) and 518-584 (CNBr X) are the major constituents of the cross-linked fragments examined. Evidence for at least two additional sequences suggests that A alpha 208-235 (CNBr V) and A alpha 585-610 (CNBr XI) may have auxiliary roles in alpha-polymer formation. When alpha XLCNBr was used as an immunogen for the production of murine hybridoma cell lines, two groups of antibodies were obtained. The majority of supernatants from primary hybridoma cultures did not discriminate between fibrinogen and alpha XLCNBr and appeared to contain antibodies directed against determinants within either CNBr VIII or CNBr X [see Ehrlich, P. H., Sobel, J. H., Moustafa, Z. A., & Canfield, R. E. (1983) Biochemistry (following paper in this issue)]. Several supernatants from primary hybridoma cultures, however, did exhibit significant binding toward the alpha-polymer derivative in the absence of demonstrable immunoreactivity toward either highly purified fibrinogen or its A alpha-chain peptides, CNBr VIII and CNBr X.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)