The Production of Monoclonal Antibodies against the Calcium Dependent Cell Adhesion Molecule and N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferase Found on the Surface of Embryonic Chick Neural Retina Cells

Abstract

Embryonic chick neural retina cells have at their surface a complex of molecules involved in the cell to cell adhesion process. Two of the most important components of this complex are the calcium dependent neural cell adhesion molecule (NcaICAM) and an enzyme, N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase (retina galNAc transferase). Both molecules can be isolated from retina cell membranes with Triton X-l00 detergent and used as immunogens. This paper is a report on a cell fusion and the associated processes used to generate monoclonal antibodies against both NcalCAM and retina galNAc transferase to aid in the further analysis of these molecules. It also involves an attempt to integrate a new fusion protocol involving the use of Robertsonian (8.12) 5Bnr mice and the FOX-NY myeloma cell line into the repertoire of techniques being used in the laboratory of Dr. Jack Lilien, University of Wisconsin at Madison, to explore the many facets of cell adhesion. Preliminary results indicate that the hybridomas produced during the cell fusion might be producing antibodies against both NcalCAM and retina galNAc transferase and, if so, the use of Robertsonian mice and the FOX-NY cell line would prove to be a valuable technique for the lab.