Production of oligoclonal antibodies directed to the N-terminal of smooth muscle alpha actin using peptidyl-polyacrylic resins as direct immunogens

Polyacrylamide-based solid-phase supports were used in the production of a synthetic peptide analogous to amino acid sequence 1-9 from bovine aortic actin. Different peptidyl-resins were prepared and directly used to induce an antibody response in rabbits. Antisera that recognized the resin-bound peptide were compared. Some of them reacted with native aortic actin; this response was highly specific for the smooth muscle alpha actin isotype. We also immunized rabbits with the 1-9 peptide linked to bovine serum albumin. In this case, antisera were less reactive with native aortic actin, and cross-reacted with the two closely related smooth muscle alpha and macrophage actin isotypes. This method provides a rapid and simple procedure for generating peptide immunogens and antibodies to them, by the combination of peptidyl-resin immunizations and resin-bound peptide immunoassays.