Widespread distribution of a 210,000 mol wt microtubule-associated protein in cells and tissues of primates.

Abstract

Antisera prepared against a 210,000 MW microtubule-associated protein (210k MAP) isolated from the human cell line, HeLa, were used to survey a variety of cells and tissues for the presence of immunologically related proteins. The antisera were employed to test extracts of the cells and tissues, using a sensitive indirect immunofluorescence technique applied to polyacrylamide gels. Cross-reactive material of 210,000 MW was found in 10 kinds of cells and tissues derived from humans and 4 lines of cells from monkeys. Indirect immunofluorescent staining was also carried out on fixed cells and showed that the cross-reactive material was localized to interphase and mitotic microtubules as assayed in 9 human and 7 monkey cell lines [African queen monkey kidney (CV-l and BSC-40), Abyssinian Colobus brain, Stumptail macaque spleen and owl monkey kidney, cotton-topped marmoset, ring-tailed lemur]. No protein that cross-reacted with 210k MAP antisera was detected in cells and tissues derived from 2 rodents [mouse, hamster] an ungulate [pig] a marsupial [rat kangaroo] or a chicken. The 210k MAP isolated from HeLa cells is present in a wide variety of cells and tissues of humans and other primates but is antigenically distinct from MAP present in lower organisms.