A monoclonal rat anti-mouse EMAP II antibody that functionally neutralizes pro- and mature-EMAP II in vitro

EMAP II is an endothelial cell and monocyte activating proinflammatory cytokine, which has been demonstrated to induce endothelial cell apoptosis. In order to analyze its role in disease models linked to inflammation and endothelial cell death, we aimed to develop a neutralizing antibody against mouse EMAP II. Therefore, we generated rat monoclonal anti-mouse EMAP II antibodies by immunization with recombinant full length, mouse pro-EMAP II protein. We could identify by ELISA, hybridoma clones from fusion with mouse myeloma SP2/0 cells which produced antibodies recognizing both full length and mature EMAP II. We further characterized one antibody, M7/1 and demonstrated its ability to detect both EMAP II forms in Western blotting and to neutralize EMAP II directed migration of human peripheral blood monocytes as well as EMAP II induced apoptosis of tumor and endothelial cells. We conclude that this antibody can be useful to both target and analyze murine disease models, in which EMAP II may be involved.