Immunological cross-reactivity between the alpha-bungarotoxin-binding component from rat brain and nicotinic...

An alpha-bungarotoxin-binding protein was partially purified from rat brain and, when complexed with [125I] alpha-bungarotoxin, was shown to behave as a single radiolabelled protein that is distinct from the similarly complexed nAChR from Torpedo marmorata. The alpha-bungarotoxin-binding protein was used as antigen in radioimmunoassays for rabbit anti-(rat muscle nAChR) and rabbit anti-(Torpedo nAChR) antibodies, giving titres approximately 5% and 0.5%, respectively, of those obtained by using homologous antigen in the same assay.