title: Cross reactivity of polyclonal GFAP antiserum: implications for the in-vitro characterisation of brain endothelium.
abstract: Following a recent claim, based on glial acidic fibrillary protein (GFAP) expression, that brain-derived astrocytes in culture are in fact endothelial cells, we immuno-labelled primary cultures of rat brain astrocytes and endothelium with various GFAP antisera. Both cell types stained positively with a polyclonal antibody, although monoclonal antiserum labelled only astrocytes. We conclude that staining of endothelial cells with the polyclonal GFAP antiserum is due to cross reactivity with another protein.
authors.affiliation: BBB Group, Centre for Neuroscience Research, King's College London, Hodgkin Building, Guy's Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK. diana.dolman@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Diana E M
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Dolman
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lawrenson
authors.forename: N Joan
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Abbott
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007106:Immune Sera