Monoclonal antibody to chicken oviduct progesterone receptor

Antibodies to molybdate-stabilized chicken oviduct progesterone receptor were raised in a Wistar rat and detected by interaction with homogeneous radioiodinated progesterone receptor. Spleen cells of this rat were then fused with mouse Sp2/0-Ag14 myeloma cells and the antibodies produced by the hybrid cells were detected by double immunoprecipitation using the 125I-labeled receptor. Cells of one of the positive cultures were then cloned by limiting dilution and one hybridoma cell line was studied. The monoclonal antibody produced was an IgG2b, and it reacted with the molybdate-stabilized "8-9S" form of the chicken oviduct progesterone receptor, labeled with either [3H]progesterone or [3H]ORG 2058 (a high-affinity synthetic progestin). Kd for the 8-9S progesterone receptor was approximately equal to 1 nM. Progesterone receptor-monoclonal antibody complexes were labeled with radioactive progesterone, suggesting that antibody does not prevent hormone binding. By using a [35S]methionine-labeled antibody, we were able to detect the progesterone receptor independently of its characteristic function of binding radioactive hormone. No crossreaction with human progesterone receptor was detected.