Quantitation of aflatoxin B1-modified DNA using monoclonal antibodies

Five monoclonal antibodies were obtained after fusion of mouse P3 x 63 myeloma cells with spleen cells isolated from BALB/c mice that had been immunized with aflatoxin B1-adducted DNA complexes with methylated bovine serum albumin. Selected hybridomas were found to produce monoclonal antibodies specific for modified DNA containing both the 2,3-dihydro-2-(N7-guanyl)-3-hydroxyaflatoxin B1 and the putative 2,3-dihydro-2-(N5-formyl-2',5',6'-triamino-4'-oxo-N5-pyrimidyl)-3-hydroxyaflatoxin B1, suggesting that these DNA adducts share a common antigenic determinant. Enzyme immunoassay conditions using these monoclonal antibodies were optimized, and DNA isolated from the livers of rats given dosages of aflatoxin B1 ranging from 0.01 to 1.0 mg aflatoxin B1 per kg body weight was tested. A level of modification in DNA of 1 aflatoxin B1 residue per 1,355,000 nucleotides can be quantitatively measured. Monoclonal antibodies will be useful probes for studying the molecular interactions of aflatoxin B1 with DNA and the occurrence of aflatoxin B1:DNA adducts in tissues and cells of humans exposed to this environmental carcinogen.