DEVELOPMENT OF AN ENZYME-IMMUNOASSAY (EIA) FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF FOLLICLE-STIMULATING-HORMONE (FSH) IN CALLITRICHID PRIMATES USING A MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY AGAINST THE HUMAN-FSH-BETA-SUBUNIT

Despite the importance of Callitrichid primates in both biomedical and conservation research, practical and reliable immunoassays for the me asurement of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) have not yet been desc ribed, A panel of monoclonal antibodies against specific peptide fragm ents within either the alpha or beta subunit of human FSH was evaluate d for their ability to recognize FSH from Callitrichid and other New W orld primates, One of these, monoclonal antibody 46.3h6.b7 raised agai nst human FSH, was selected due to its ability to recognize marmoset m onkey FSH and its low crossreactivity with other gonadotrophins. The a ntibody formed the basis of an enzymeimmunoassay using a highly purifi ed human urinary FSH (Metrodin (R), Serono) preparation coupled to bio tin as label and unmodified as standard. After 24 h incubation, antibo dy bound label was visualized by addition of streptavidin-peroxidase f ollowed by the appropriate substrate. Parallelism was obtained between the standard and dilutions of pituitary extracts, urine and plasma fr om the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) as well as from two tamari n species (Saguinus fuscicollis and S. oedipus) and one squirrel monke y (Saimiri sciureus). Profiles of plasma and urinary FSH during the fo llicular phase are shown for two individual marmosets. The ability to measure FSH in Callitrichidae provides new opportunities for studies o f the reproductive biology of these New World primate species. (C) 199 7 Wiley-Liss, Inc.