Monoclonal antibody studies of alpha-keratin low-sulfur proteins.

Monoclonal antibodies to the two families of low-sulfur proteins from wool were produced. Selection was applied to identify those hybridomas secreting antibody that was effective in the Electro-blot system. The specificities of eight different monoclonal antibodies were investigated by their binding to alpha-keratin low-sulfur proteins which had been subjected to electrophoresis from wool, goat hair, porcupine quill, rat hair and echidna quill, using the Electro-blot procedure. Considerable cross-reactivity was found both within the low-sulfur protein components of individual keratins from a particular species, and also between the keratins of the different species. Some antibodies were found to bind selectively to components of one family of low-sulfur proteins in wool, while others recognized determinants in both families, indicating some homology between the two families.