Studies on the antibody response of Lama glama — evaluation of the binding capacity of different IgG subtypes in ELISAs for clenbuterol and BSA

Camelidae are known to produce three subtypes of immunoglobulin G (IgG), two of which are devoid of light chains. Two llamas (Lama glama) were immunised against clenbuterol–bovine serum albumin (BSA). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for clenbuterol and BSA on the basis of protein A-coated microtitration plates were established to investigate the titre development. Three subclasses of IgG (IgG1: 29+66 KDD, IgG2: 52 KDD, IgG3: 56 KDD) depending on their different binding properties to protein A and protein G could be separated chromatographically. Only IgG1, which consists of conventional four-chain antibodies, bound to clenbuterol, whereas all forms of heavy-chain antibodies merely bound BSA.