Antigen binding characteristics of antibodies induced against nitric oxide modified plasmid DNA

Nitric oxide (NO) generated by the reduction of sodium nitrite with sodium dithionite caused damage to plasmid Bluescript DNA leading to strand breaks and base modifications. The NO-plasmid DNA was highly immunogenic in rabbits. The antibody activity was inhibited to the extent of 86% with the immunogen as inhibitor, indicating the induction of immunogen specific antibodies. However, delineating the antigenic specificity of anti-NO-plasmid DNA antibodies by competition ELISA, multiple cross-reactivity was observed. The antibodies recognised B-, A- and allied conformations. The visual detection of immune complex formation with native and NO-plasmid DNA reiterated preferential binding with modified plasmid DNA. DNA modified by nitric oxide presents unique epitopes which may be one of the factors in antigen-driven autoimmune response in systemic lupus erythematosus.