The development of monoclonal anti-ADAMTS18 antibodies with precise validation of ADAMTS18 post-translational modification status in living organisms

ADAMTS18 is a member of a secreted Zn-metalloproteinase ADAMTS family, and has been implicated in development, hemostasis, and various malignancies. It has thus far proven difficult to resolve its post-translational modification status, cleaved forms, and splice variants in living organisms due to the lack of specific antibodies available to characterize this enzyme. In this study, we develop six murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against different functional regions of ADAMTS18 using hybridoma technology. These mAbs exhibit cross-recognition between ADAMTS18 and the homology domain of its family members. Using the tissues from Adamts18 knockout (KO) mice, we find that two of these mAbs (N-3 and C-5) precisely identify five significantly attenuated bands located at 180, 135, 95, 72, and 45 kDa. These bands represent the forms of ADAMTS18 that potentially exist in the tissues. These mAbs will provide a useful tool to investigate the ADAMTS18's biologic significance in the tissues.