A (1→3,1→4)-β-glucan-specific monoclonal antibody and its use in the quantitation and immunocytochemical location of (1→3,1→4)-β-glucans

Abstract

Monoclonal antibodies were raised against a (1→3,1→4)-β-glucan-bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugate. One antibody (BG1) selected for further characterization, was specific for (1→3,1→4)-β-glucan, displaying no binding activity against a (1→3)-β-glucan-BSA conjugate and minimal binding against a cellopentaose-BSA conjgate. A range of oligosaccharides was prepared by enzymatic digestion of (1→3,1→4)-β-glucan, purified by size exclusion chromatography and characterized by 1 H-NMR and anion exchange chromatography. These (1→3,1→4)-β-oligoglucosides, together with (1→3)-β- and (1→4)-β-oligoglucosides were used to characterize the binding site of the monoclonal antibody (BG1) by competitive inhibi..