Monoclonal antibodies that immunoreact with a cation-stimulated plant membrane ATPase

Hybridoma technology has been used successfully to generate monoclonal-antibody probes against protoplast membrane antigens. Hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies that either inhibit or stimulate a putative plasma-membrane marker enzyme, (K+ + Mg2+)-stimulated pH 6.5 ATPase, have been identified and cloned. The specificity of monoclonal-antibody probes on the activity of other phosphate-hydrolysing enzymes has also been examined. The production and identification of monospecific antibodies capable of immunoreacting with particular component proteins in a complex plant membrane mixture highlight the usefulness of hybridoma methodology for the enzymologist, especially since such monoclonal antibodies can be used in the purification of proteins by immunoaffinity techniques.