Isolation and specificity of antibodies to uridine

Antibodies to uridine were produced in rabbits using a conjugate of uridine (periodate oxidized) and bovine serum albumin as immunogen. The specificity of the antibodies was studied by estimating the inhibition of the binding of 3H-uridine-trialcohol to the antibodies by various non-radioactive related compounds, using a nitrocellulose filter assay. The antibodies were 1500-fold more reactive to the uridine-trialcohol than the parent nucleoside. They bound 3H-RNA at homologous base residues. The hapten specific antibodies were purified by affinity chromatography on a uridine-AH-Sepharose column.