Monoclonal antibodies against components of the myoplasm of eggs of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis partially block the development of muscle-specific acetylcholinesterase.

The myoplasm of Ciona intestinalis eggs, believed to contain cytoplasmic determinants responsible for muscle cell differentiation in ascidian embryos, emits weak pale-blue autonomous fluorescence. Utilizing this feature as a marker, the cytoplasm was isolated according to the method described by Jeffery (1985b). Electron microscopy showed that the isolated cytoplasm contained mitochondria, pigment granules, yolk particles and fine granular materials; these are ultrastructural components of the myoplasm of the intact egg. Monoclonal antibodies were prepared against the isolated cytoplasm. Twelve monoclonal antibodies, identified by indirect immunofluorescence, stained the myoplasmic region. When unfertilized eggs were centrifuged, stratifying their mitochondria and some other cytoplasmic components, components identified by several antibodies, for example IIG6B2, remained at the peripheral cytoplasm of the egg. Other antibodies recognized components stratified as the mitochondrial layer. Four representative antibodies were microinjected into fertilized eggs in order to examine their inhibitory effects on the muscle differentiation; the IIG6B2 antibody blocked the development of muscle-specific acetylcholinesterase in more than 80% of the embryos tested.