Monoclonal antibodies inducing conformational changes on the antigen molecule

Abstract

Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) are extensively used as biological tools because of their invariable specificity. However, the interpretation of results can be misled by the behaviour of MoAb displaying allosteric effects, i.e. long-range conformational changes on the antigen (Ag). It has been shown that some MoAbs are able to modify the spatial structure of the corresponding protein Ag, affecting in this way its biological activity as well as its binding to a second MoAb. Thus, a researcher using a MoAb as a tool to investigate some features of an antigenic molecule must be aware of the possible positive or negative allosteric properties of the antibody.