Production and Characterization of Monoclonal antibodies to Xenopus proteins

Monoclonal antibodies are powerful and versatile tools that enable the study of proteins in diverse contexts. They are often utilized to assist with identifying subcellular localization and characterizing the function of target proteins of interest. However, because there can be considerable sequence diversity between orthologous proteins in Xenopus and mammals, antibodies produced against mouse or human proteins often do not recognize Xenopus counterparts. To address this issue, we refined existing protocols to produce mouse monoclonal antibodies directed against Xenopus proteins of interest. Here we describe several approaches for the generation of useful mouse anti-Xenopus antibodies to multiple Xenopus proteins and their validation in various experimental approaches. These novel antibodies are now available to the research community through the Developmental Study Hybridoma Bank (DSHB). Summary statement The manuscript describes the generation and characterization of novel monoclonal antibodies to Xenopus laevis proteins using refined hybridoma production methods suitable for basic science research labs.