A glass-fiber filtration assay for solution phase hapten-antibody binding. Effect of surface treatment with a...

Radioligands bound to murine monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies in solution are rapidly and effectively separated from free ligand by filtration through either untreated or polyethylenimine (PEI)-pretreated glass-fiber filters. Ligand binding to selected anti-morphine monoclonal antibodies, determined by filtration through untreated filters, was significantly greater (1.5-3.0-fold) than the binding activities obtained by gel filtration. However, radioactivity retained by filters that were pretreated with PEI (pH 4) was essentially the same as that obtained using the Sephadex G-25 short-column assay. The pH dependence of the retention on the coated fibers suggests that the mechanism of binding of antibodies to glass is different from that to the PEI-treated surfaces. The quantitative aspects of the assay are reported. The method should prove useful where quantitative, rapid and inexpensive binding radioassays need to be performed.