Immunohistochemical staining of the human forebrain with monoclonal antibody to human choline acetyltransferase

Monoclonal antibody to human choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) was successfully produced from a mouse hybridoma cell line. The antibody was found to be of the IgM molecular species. By using this monoclonal antibody, immunohistochemical staining for ChAT was obtained on human brain sections. Only large sized cells were stained in the putamen and the substantia innominata. The specificity of the staining was comparable to that with polyclonal rabbit antibody to human ChAT produced by standard immunization procedures. No staining was observed when mouse monoclonal antibodies prepared against other human or bacterial antigens, or when normal mouse IgM, was employed.