Monoclonal antibodies as tools in membrane biochemistry. Identification and partial characterization of the dicarboxylate transporter from pea leaf mitochondria.

Monoclonal antibodies specific for the dicarboxylate transporter of pea mitochondria were prepared and used to identify this substrate carrier. The hybridoma library was derived from mice that had been immunized with total mitochondrial membranes. The monoclonal antibodies specific for the dicarboxylate transporter were selected by screening hybridoma supernatants for their ability to inhibit malate- and succinate-dependent oxalacetate reduction by osmotically shocked pea leaf mitochondria. Three monoclonal antibodies were shown to be specific for the dicarboxylate transporter by their ability to 1) inhibit malate and succinate metabolism without affecting alpha-ketoglutarate, citrate, pyruvate, glycine, glutamate, or aspartate metabolism by mitochondria and 2) inhibit malate uptake by a partially purified transporter fraction reconstituted into asolectin vesicles. The dicarboxylate transporter was identified by Western blotting and immunoprecipitation and had an apparent molecular mass of 26,000 Da. The techniques described should prove useful for identifying a number of membrane proteins that can be assayed in situ but are difficult to assay following dissolution of the membrane.