Characterization of a polymorphic protein localized to vascular epithelium in Botryllus schlosseri: role in tunic synthesis?
To develop an antibody-based screen for epitopes involved in botryllid historecognition, BALB/c mice were immunized with whole Botryllus schlosseri colonies. Resulting monoclonal antibodies were screened for alpha or beta fusibility types using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemical staining. One monoclonal antibody (109) that recognized a polymorphic epitope was further analyzed by Western blotting. It binds a species-specific epitope localized to the atrial siphon and blood vessels. The epitope does not cosegregate with fusibility type. A complementary DNA clone encoding this antigen contains an endoplasmic reticulum retention motif. Polymorphism observed on Western blots was confirmed by Northern blot analysis. This antigen provides a new polymorphic marker that may be useful in studies of tunic formation.
Departments of Pathology, Developmental Biology, and Biological Sciences, Stanford University, and Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
M B
MB
Fagan
I L
IL
Weissman
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001483:Base Sequence; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D014561:Urochordata / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; C114587:Bs109 protein, Botryllus schlosseri; D000939:Epitopes; D011506:Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins