Immunochemical studies with a specific antiserum to rabbit fibroblast collagenase

1. Antisera were raised against the collagenase from rabbit synovial fibroblasts and characterized by immunoprecipitation and immunoinhibition reactions. 2. Immunoglobulins from the antisera were potent inhibitors of the action of rabbit collagenase on both reconstituted collagen fibrils and collagen in solution. 3. The antibody-binding fragment, Fab', produced by digesting the IgG (immunoglobulin G) with pepsin, inhibited collagenase activity just as well as whole IgG. 4. A specific antiserum to the rabbit collagenase was raised by a multi-step procedure. An initial antiserum was made by injecting partially purified collagenase as a complex with sheep alpha2-macroglobulin into a sheep. The non-specific antiserum so obtained was used to produce precipitin lines with the purified enzyme, and these lines were used as antigen for the production of the specific antiserum. 5. An IgG preparation from the specific antiserum was a specific and potent inhibitor of the rabbit synovial fibroblast collagenase. Neutral metallo-proteinase activity secreted by the rabbit fibroblasts was not inhibited by the antibody to the rabbit collagenase. 6. Criteria for determination of the specificity of antisera are discussed.