title: Human monoclonal antibodies to myelin-associated glycoprotein. Comparison of specificity and use for immunocytochemical localisation of the antigen.
abstract: Recent reports demonstrate that a population of patients with gammopathy and demyelinating neuropathy have monoclonal antibodies to myelin-associated glycoprotein. Using the immunoblotting technique we compared the species specificity: human monoclonal antibodies to myelin-associated glycoprotein reacted with human, monkey, calf, dog, rabbit and guinea pig myelin, but not with rat or mouse. On the immunoblot myelin-associated glycoprotein consistently stained as a diffuse band with an apparent molecular weight ranging from 90-100 X 10(3) dalton. Experiments showed that when human CNS myelin had been incubated at 37 degrees C before gel electrophoresis, there was a general shift of staining towards the lower end of the molecular weight range. This low molecular weight myelin-associated glycoprotein, when released from the membrane, contains the antigenic determinant. Peptide mapping by limited proteolysis reveals that the antigenic determinants for 4 different monoclonal antibodies appear to lie very close together in the molecule. The distribution of the antigen was studied in nervous tissue with the unlabelled peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. The results obtained are in close agreement with the localization reported with polyclonal antisera to myelin-associated glycoprotein.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D004285:Dogs; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D000882:Haplorhini; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology; D009185:Myelin Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D018992:Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D013045:Species Specificity; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000276:immunology; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000939:Epitopes; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D009185:Myelin Proteins; D018992:Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein