The Immunogen: Myelin Basic Protein (MBP) s one of the major proteins of the myelin sheath surrounding axons in the nervous system. Since it is of relatively low molecular weight and high abundance the protein sequence was determined from purified protein over 30 years ago (1). The protein is made by oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system, so antibodies to MBP are good markers of this cell type. However, transcripts from the same gene are also expressed in certain hematopoetic lineage cells (2). In this case the proteins are referred to as Golli-MBP proteins and result from the use of 3 exons not utilized in the nervous system, resulting in proteins with unique N-terminal regions. In the central nervous system there are four different forms of the protein made by alternate transcription from a single gene, which have molecular weights of 21.5, 20.5, 18.5, and 17.2 kDa in humans. The single gene of rodents also produces 4 different proteins, but of slightly different sizes, 21.5, 18.5, 17 and 14 kDa. Sequence alignments of both human and rodent isotypes can be downloaded from here. We have found that our chicken antibody stains all four transcripts on blots with equivalent intensity. We also market two good mouse monoclonal antibodies to MBP, MCA-7G7 and MCA-7D2. The HGNC name for this protein is MBP.

Antibody Characteristics: Antibody was raised in chicken against purified myelin basic protein isolated from cow nerve. This antibody is an IgY preparation, with total protein content about 30 milligrams/ml. The preparation contains 10mM sodium azide as a preservative. Store at 4°C or -20°C. Avoid repeat freezing and thawing.

Figures: Left: Blots of whole tissue homogenate of rat spinal cord probed with CPCA-MBP, chicken antibody to Myelin Basic Protein, in the first two lanes. The antibody stains 21.5 kDa, 18.5kDa, 17kDa and 14kDa, all four CNS isotypes of rat myelin basic protein. Our two monoclonals to MBP, MCA-7G7 and MCA-7D2, show similar staining in the lanes indicated, although MCA-7D2 shows stronger binding for the 21.5kDa and 18.5kDa isotypes. Right shows rat mixed neuron/glial cultures stained with chicken Myelin Basic Protein (green). Blue is a DNA stain. Note that the Myelin Basic Protein antibody stains an oligodendrocyte and some membrane shed from this cell. Other cells in the field include neurons, astrocytes, microglia and fibroblasts, all of which are completely negative for myelin basic protein. Astrocytes are stained, in green with MCA-5C10, our monoclonal antibody to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and excellent marker of astrocytes. specifically, and that the staining is concentrated in the cell bodies,

Suggestions for use: Try at dilutions of 1:1,000 and higher for immunofluorescence. For western blots try at 1:10,000. A suitable control tissue is rat spinal cord or peripheral nerve homogenate. The major isoforms of MBP run as a closely spaced set of bands between of 21.5kDa and 14kDa for rodent and 21.5kDa to 17kDa for human.

Omim link: press here

References:

1. Eylar EH, Brostoff S, Hashim G, Caccam J, Burnett P. Basic A1 protein of the myelin membrane. The complete amino acid sequence. J. Biol. Chem. 246:5770-5784 (1971).

2. Marty MC, Alliot F, Rutin J, Fritz R, Trisler D. and Pessac B. The myelin basic protein gene is expressed in differentiated blood cell lineages and in hemopoietic progenitors. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 99:8856-8861 (2002).

Limitations: This product is for research use only and is not approved for use in humans or in clinical diagnosis.

Availability and Price: Available for shipping now, $200 US per aliquot of 500 microliters of IgY preparation, enough for hundreds of experiments. For order form press here

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