Monoclonal antibodies directed against proteins modified with the major membrane lipid peroxidation product, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, have been established and characterized. The monoclonal antibodies specific for HNE-modified proteins were raised by immunizing mice with a HNE-keyhole limpet hemocyanin conjugate. The resulting five monoclonal antibodies (mAbs HNEJ-1–5) recognized HNE-modified bovine serum albumin (BSA), but not native BSA in Western blot studies. Of the five mAbs, HNEJ-2 exhibited the highest affinity for HNE-modified proteins and a much higher affinity for the HNE-histidine adduct than the HNE-lysine or HNE-cysteine adducts. mAb HNEJ-2 did not cross-react with proteins that had been treated with other aldehydes, such as 1-hexenal, 2-hexenal, 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal, 2-nonenal, formaldehyde, or glutaraldehyde. These results suggest that the major epitope recognized by mAb HNEJ-2 is the Michael addition-type HNE-histidine adduct.
