EFFECTS OF WATER LOADING ON THE FLUORESCEIN ANTI-FLUORESCEIN ANTIBODYSYSTEM IN AEROSOL-OT REVERSE MICELLES FORMED N-HEPTANE/

We report on the behavior of monoclonal 4-4-20 mouse anti-fluorescein antibodies sequestered within aerosol-OT (AOT) reverse micelles formed in liquid n-heptane as a function of water loading (R). Our data sugg est that the fluorescein binding site structure is unaffected by R. Ho wever, we note that there is a region, at intermediate R values, where the fluorescein apparently binds even more strongly to the monoclonal anti-fluorescein antibodies compared to the native antibody in soluti on. These results are qualitatively explained in terms of the Ruckenst ein-Karpe model, which is based on charge disproportionation and redis tribution within the reverse micelle. The results demonstrate that R, within an AOT reverse micelle, influences the apparent anti-fluorescei n affinity.