Rabbit lung flavin-containing monooxygenase is immunochemically and catalytically distinct from the liver enzyme

Flavin-containing monooxygenase has been purified to homogeneity from lung microsomes of pregnant rabbits. Antibody to rabbit lung flavin-containing monooxygenase was raised in guinea pig. Ouchterlony double diffusion analysis with this antibody produced precipitin lines of identity with the purified rabbit lung enzyme and lung microsomes from pregnant and non-pregnant rabbits. No cross-reaction was seen with liver microsomes from rabbit or with purified pig liver enzyme. The tricyclic antidepressant drugs, imipramine and chlorpromazine, are not substrates for the rabbit lung enzyme, whereas they are rapidly oxidized by the pig liver enzyme. These results indicate that rabbit lung and liver flavin-containing monooxygenases differ in substrate specificity, are immunochemically distinct proteins, and may be different gene products.