Interaction of [3H] estradiol — and [3H] monohydroxytamoxifen-estrogen receptor complexes with a monoclonal antibody

The aim of this study was to compare and contrast the interaction of estrogen ( 3H]17 beta-estradiol)- or antiestrogen ( 3H]monohydroxytamoxifen)-receptor complexes from human breast tumor cytosols with monoclonal antibodies raised to the human breast tumor estrogen receptor. Breast tumor cytosols containing estrogen receptor which sedimented as radiolabeled peaks in either the 8S, 8S and 4S, or 4S regions of sucrose density gradients, interacted with the monoclonal antibody D547 to produce a broad 9-10S peak, a broad 8S-10S peak, or a more discrete 8S peak, respectively. On high salt (0.4M KC1) sucrose density gradients the 4S ligand-receptor complex plus antibody produced a binding peak at approximately the 8S region of the gradient. These sedimentation studies with the monoclonal antibody D547, and similar studies with the monoclonal antibody D58, could detect no differences in the cytosolic estrogen receptor whether complexed with 3H]estradiol or with 3H]monohydroxytamoxifen. These observations were confirmed by Scatchard equilibrium saturation analysis and sucrose density gradient analysis of cytosols from the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line. The antibody D547 interacted with 8S ER from these cytosols to produce a broad 8S-10S peak, but the antibody produced no change in the affinity or number of binding sites present in these cytosols. It seems, therefore, that the antigenic determinants recognized by these particular antibodies on the breast tumor cytosolic receptor are not significantly altered by the binding of either an estrogen or an antiestrogen to the receptor.