Unfolding of subunit a during the intracellular transport of mistletoe lectin I

Hybridomas producing monoclonal antibodies against the denatured mistletoe lectin A-subunit (MLA) were obtained. Competitive EIA showed that monABs re cognize five epitopes in MLA. The epitopes were mapped by ELISA with a pane l of 65 MLA synthetic octapeptides linked to the surface of polyethylene pi ns. Hybridoma TA7 was ten times less sensitive to the cytotoxic effect of m istletoe lectin than control cells, suggesting that MLA is unfolded during the intracellular transport of the toxin, TA7 monAB also suppressed the int eraction of MLA with the lipid bilayer of liposomes.