Isoform specificity of monoclonal hybridoma antibodies to quail skeletal muscle myosin subunits.

Monoclonal antibodies to adult quail breast muscle myosin (QBM) have been prepared and characterized using a solid phase enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblot procedures. One antibody (QBM-1) is directed against an epitope in the rod portion of the myosin heavy chain while another (QBM-2) binds exclusively to a conserved portion of the two alkali light chains of fast muscle myosin. Both of these antibodies cross-react with myosin from myotubes cultured in vitro but do not recognize non-muscle myosin. The application of these antibodies to the study of myogenesis is discussed.