Antigenic and immunogenic properties of gamma-glutamyl-transferase preparations.

Incubation time of human kidney gamma-glutamyl-transferase (GGT) with specific antiserum and precipitate formation caused no effect on inhibition of the enzyme activity. In the obtained precipitate GGT activity was independent of the amount of antiserum and contained 30% of the initial enzyme activity. After reaction of the serum with human liver GGT or with the urine enzyme a precipitate formation and decrease in the enzyme activity was noted. In the serum incubated with GGT isolated from animal kidneys, neither inhibition nor precipitation was observed. The precipitate of bovine kidney GGT with a specific antibody independently of the amount of antibody contained 50% of activity. After treatment of bovine GGT with bromelain four protein fractions giving precipitin lines in crossed-immunoelectrophoresis were observed but only one of them preserved catalytic activity. Immunogenicity of newly obtained immobilized GGT preparations was much lower than that of the native enzyme. A distinct and different influence of antibody on the affinity of native and immobilized GGT preparations to donor and acceptors of gamma-glutamyl group was noted. The immunofluorescent technique was used for GGT localization in some bovine tissue sections.