INCORPORATION OF LIPID-TAGGED SINGLE-CHAIN ANTIBODIES INTO LIPID MONOLAYERS AND THE INTERACTION WITH ANTIGEN

Various amounts of a bacterially produced lipid-tagged single-chain an tibody were incorporated into phospholipid monolayers preformed at the air-water interface. The mixed layers were transferred onto octadecyl mercaptan-treated gold films, and the binding of hapten, which was us ed as antigen, was determined by surface plasmon resonance. Incorporat ion of the single-chain antibody, transfer of the layer onto solid sli des, amount of nonspecific adsorption, and thus the amount of specific binding depended on the composition of the lipid matrix. Studies by a tomic force microscopy revealed that the film consisted of antibody-en riched lipid domains and that the films were not stable when stored lo ng times in aqueous solution.