Immunological Cross‐Reactivity between Electric‐Eel Acetylcholinesterase and Rat‐Tail‐Tendon Collagen

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Abstract
Immunological cross-reactivity between acetylcholinesterase from the electric organ of the electric eel [Electrophorus electricus] and rat tail tendon collagen was examined on the cellular and humoral levels. Guinea pigs immunized with rat tail tendon collagen displayed a strong delayed-type skin reaction when tested with the elongated acetylcholinesterase preparation (i.e. 14-S + 18-S molecular forms). When the glubular 11-S enzyme was tested, almost no cross-reactivity was obtained. Guinea pigs immunized with 14-S + 18-S preparation exhibited skin sensitization to rat tail tendon collagen. A radioimmunoassay showed that 125I-labeled 14-S + 18-S acetylcholinesterase binds efficiently to rabbit antiserum elicited against rat tail tendon collagen, whereas 125I-labeled 11-S enzyme does not bind at all to this antiserum. Similar results were obtained by passive hemagglutination assay. The experiments suggest that 14-S + 18-S acetylcholinesterase, but not 11-S enzyme, which is devoid of the tail structure, has antigenic determinants in common with collagen from rat tail tendon.