MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES TO MAMMALIAN HEAT-SHOCK PROTEINS IMPAIR MOUSE EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT IN-VITRO

Two-cell mouse embryos (B6D2F1) were cultured in the presence or absen ce of 100 mu g/ml monoclonal antibodies specific for the mammalian 60 kDa (HSP60), 70 kDa (HSP70) and 90 M)a (HSP90) heat shock proteins. Em bryo development was evaluated after 3, 5 and 7 days in culture by det ermining the number of blastocysts, hatched blastocysts and outgrown t rophoblasts at the successive time points. At day 3, only 29% (22/75) of the embryos cultured with anti-HSP60 antibody developed to the blas tocyst stage (P < 0.0001) as compared to 67% (31/46) of the embryos cu ltured with anti-HSP70, 72% (43/60) cultured with anti-HSP90, and 79% (49/62) in medium plus mouse IgG(1), By day 5, hatched embryos were pr esent in 28% (13/ 46) of the cultures containing anti-HSP70 (P < 0,000 1), as opposed to 57% (34/60) containing anti-HSP90 and 73% (45/62) co ntaining IgG(1), At day 7, outgrown trophoblasts were observed in 9% ( 4/46) of cultures containing anti-HSP70 (P < 0.0001), 45% (27/60) cont aining anti-HSP90 (P < 0.01) and 66% (41/62) cultured in medium plus I gG(1). Antibodies to different heat shock proteins exerted a detriment al effect on mouse embryo development at unique development stages. Im mune sensitization to heat shock proteins may be a cause of reproducti ve failure.