PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY TO HUMAN TYPE-IV COLLAGEN

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 108  (3) , 310-318
Abstract
A monoclonal antibody to human basement membrane Type IV collagen was produced. The antibody reacts with the pepsin-resistant, collagenase-sensitive domain of Type IV collagen isolated from placental membranes, but not with human collagens of Types I, II, III, V, 1.alpha., 2.alpha. and 3.alpha.. The antibody precipitates biosynthetically labeled human Type IV procollagen, and the preciptate contains both both the .alpha.1 (IV) and .alpha.2 (IV) chains, suggesting the occurrence of these chains within the same triple-helical molecule. When used in indirect immunofluorescence, the antibody gives brilliant staining of basement membranes from a variety of human tissues but does not stain tissues of bovine, canine, rabbit, rat or mouse origin. This antibody may be of value in research on the structure of human basement membrane collagen, on the distribution of this collagen in various basement membranes, and particularly for the study of basement membranes in normal human development and pathologic processes.