Immunological differentiation between novel monomeric and classic tetrameric rat liver glutathione peroxidases

Difference between a novel monomeric enzyme and the classic tetrameric enzyme of glutathione peroxidase in rat liver was examined immunologically. The polyclonal antibody raised against the novel enzyme reacted with the novel enzyme, but not with the classic enzyme. Likewise the anti-classic enzyme antibody reacted with the classic enzyme, but not with the novel one. The activity of the novel enzyme was decreased by the treatment with the anti-novel enzyme antibody, but not with the anti-classic enzyme antibody, and vice versa for the classic enzyme. Thus the novel monomeric glutathione peroxidase is a protein immunologically distinct from the classic enzyme.