Because monoclonal antibodies can recognize and bind to specific groups of atoms such as tumour antigens, they have promise for use in vivo as carriers of radionuclides, drugs or other appended molecules for diagnosis and treatment of disease. Attachment of metal ions to antibodies by means of bifunctional chelating agents can add the diverse nuclear, physical and chemical properties of the metallic elements to these specific binding proteins (ref. 4 and refs therein). With the ultimate aim of engineering probe-binding properties into the antibodies themselves, we have now prepared monoclonal antibodies against the EDTA chelate of indium. These antibodies show a remarkable preference for indium chelates; changing to another metal such as scandium or gallium can decrease the antibody-binding constant by more than three orders of magnitude. These antibodies also introduce a new degree of control over the biological distributions of chelated radionuclides, markedly altering their uptake in tumours and normal organs.
A quantitative ultrastructural study was performed on 56 ejaculates showing anomalies of the sperm axonemal complex. The anomalies comprised either the absence of one, or more often several, axonemal structures, or defective elongation of the doublets. Several characteristics relating to the extent and superimposition of the various anomalies could be described and enabled the definition of 6 groups of anomalies. In decreasing order of frequency these were: absence of the doublets and peripheral junctions, absence of the central complex, of the outer dynein arms, of the central junctions, of both dynein arms, and absence of the inner dynein arms and peripheral junctions. Some anomalies caused total immobility, whereas others caused abnormal movement patterns. Abnormalities of the peri-axonemal structures were found in each group. The various light microscopic characteristics of each of the 6 groups represented 6 seminal profiles which should permit their detection during a routine semen analysis. Several specific associations of axonemal and/or peri-axonemal anomalies would suggest some morphogenetic links between them. Relationships between the absence of doublets or the absence of the central complex and disturbances of microtubular polymerization are discussed. Finally, the study has provided new data on the composition of the axoneme.
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