Antibodies to interleukin-1 raised with synthetic peptides: identification of external sites and analysis of interleukin-1 synthesis in stimulated human peripheral blood monocytes.

Rabbit antibodies against peptides corresponding to amino acids 1-18, 45-65 and 71-90 of mature human interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) precipitated 125I-labelled IL-1 beta, showing that these sites are accessible to antibody and located externally. Immunoprecipitation of 35S-methionine-labelled LPS-stimulated human peripheral blood monocytes followed by SDS-PAGE revealed the expected major bands of molecular weights 35,000 and 17,500. The 35,000 protein was found in the cell lysate and extracellularly in the medium, but the 17,500 protein was exclusively in the medium. A previously undescribed 31,000 band was also detected in the medium. These results are most simply explained by the hypothesis that the 35,000 IL-1 beta precursor is released from the cell and processed extracellularly to the 17,500 mature form. The 31,000 molecule may represent a processing intermediate.