Abstract
Autoantibodies in the serum of patients suffering the blistering skin disease pemphigus vulgaris recognize a 140-kDa glycoprotein (GP) present in enriched fractions of bovine tongue epidermal desmosomes. Immunofluorescence observations of cryostat sections of bovine tongue epidermis reveal that affinity-purified rabbit antibodies to the 140-kDa GP generate a punctate intercellular stain that is similar to that generated by antibodies directed against a desmosome plaque component (desmoplakin). In cultured mouse keratinocytes, the antibodies against 140-kDa GP recognize desmosomes along areas of cell-cell contact. Double immunofluorescence of cultured keratinocytes with these antibodies and a desmoplakin antiserum reveals that the antibodies against the 140-kDa GP stain a single fluorescent line along areas of cell-cell contact. This single fluorescent line lies between double fluorescent lines generated by the desmoplakin antiserum. Immunogold ultrastructural localization reveals that the 140-kDa antigen is localized not only along the intercellular area of the desmosome but also is found along the whole epidermal cell surface. The antibodies to the 140-kDa GP are able to induce a disruption of cell-cell contact in cultured keratinocytes that possess desmosomes. We propose that the 140-kDa GP is a cell adhesion molecule (CAM). Furthermore we discuss the heterogeneity of desmosomes in the light of our findings that antibodies against the 140-kDa GP recognize stratified squamous epithelial tissues.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 7282-7286 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Volume | 83 |
Issue number | 19 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1986 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General