Monoclonal Anti-AMP Antibodies Are Sensitive and Valuable Tools for Detecting Patterns of AMPylation

AMPylation is a post-translational modification that modifies amino acid side chains with adenosine monophosphate (AMP). Recently, a role of AMPylation as a universal regulatory mechanism in infection and cellular homeostasis has emerged, driving the demand for universal tools to study this modification. Here, we describe three monoclonal anti-AMP antibodies (mAbs) from mouse that are capable of protein backbone-independent recognition of AMPylation, in denatured (western blot) as well as native (ELISA, IP) applications, thereby outperforming previously reported tools. These antibodies are highly sensitive and specific for AMP modifications, highlighting their potential as tools for new target identification, as well as for validation of known targets. Interestingly, applying the anti-AMP mAbs to various cancer cell lines reveals a previously undescribed broad and diverse AMPylation pattern. In conclusion, these anti-AMP mABs will further advance the current understanding of AMPylation and the spectrum of modified targets.