The denaturation of myosin on freezing and frozen storage was monitored using competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Ci-ELISA) formatted with polyclonal antibodies anti-MWM IgG, anti-S-1 IgG and anti-LMM IgG raised against the antigens (Ags) bovine myosin whole molecules (MWMs), heavy meromyosin S-1 (myosin head part, S-1) and light meromyosin (myosin tail part, LMM) respectively. Beef slices and cuts stored at Ϫ20 ЊC or Ϫ50 ЊC lost immune affinity with all antibodies, in particular anti-LMM IgG. Repeated thawing-refreezing treatment caused more myosin denaturation than simple freezing. Myosin from beef stored at Ϫ20 ЊC was denatured more than that stored at Ϫ50 ЊC. The immune affinities between anti-LMM IgG and thawed samples were similar to those from anti-MWM IgG. We were unable to differentiate reliably between fresh and thawed beef using anti-S-1 IgG. Myosin was denatured by freezing, in particular its tail part (LMM). Figure 1 Electrophoretic depictions of primary ␣-chymotryptic digestion (A), isolated myosin fraction (B) and separated S-1 and LMM (C) on SDS-PAGE with 10% acrylamide. H and HЈ, and L and LЈ indicate high-molecular-weight standard and low-molecular-weight standard respectively. Lane 1 and 2, myosin fractions after gel filtration; 5 and 6, after first digestion; 9 and 10, isolated MWM; 11 and 12, purified S-1 (96 kDa); 13 and 14, LMM (56-59 kDa).(P Ͻ 0.01). The limit of detection was 0.1 g mL Ϫ1 (P Ͻ 0.01).
Evaluation of Ci-ELISATo assess specificity of IgG for antigen, we tested cross-reactivities between bovine actin and troponin compounds, and anti-MWM IgG; cross-reactivity of S-1 to anti-LMM IgG; and cross-reactivity of LMM to anti-S-1 IgG. We obtained cross reactivi-ty of 8.36% and 4.28% of anti-MWM IgG for actin and troponin compounds,-respectively; 10.3% of anti-LMM IgG for S-1; and 8.6% of anti-S-1 IgG for LMM. The results of the recovery test for each IgG were about 102% ( Table 1).
Changes of immune affinityMyosin whole molecule (MWM) In Expt 1, after 2 months storage at Ϫ20 ЊC, the Monitoring the frozen denaturation of muscle myosin by immunoassay J. Lee et al.