MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY AGAINST BOVINE LACTOFERRICIN(R) AND ITS EPITOPIC SITE

Bovine lactoferricin(R) (LFcin B) is a strong antimicrobial peptide de rived from N-lobe of lactoferrin. To study the immunochemical and stru ctural properties of LFcin B, monoclonal antibody (mAb) was prepared a nd the amino acid sequence concerning with the binding to mAb has been identified. Mice injected with LFcin B showed no production of antibo dy specific to this peptide, whereas those with LFcin B-KLH conjugate produced anti-LFcin B antibodies. None of the mAb reacted with bovine lactoferrin C-lobe, human lactoferrin or LFcin H. By the reactivity of the mAb against the peptides synthesized on cellulose membranes using SPOTs(TM) and against chemically modified derivatives of LFcin B, the antigenic determinant of LFcin B was identified to be the sequence of ''QWR''.