Antibody binding specificity for kappa (Vκ) light chain-containing human (IgM) antibodies: Polysialic acid (PSA) attached to NCAM as a case study

Jens O. Watzlawik, Robert J. Kahoud, Bharath Wootla, Meghan M. Painter, Arthur E. Warrington, William A. Carey, Moses Rodriguez

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Antibodies of the IgM isotype are often neglected as potential therapeutics in human trials, animal models of human diseases as well as detecting agents in standard laboratory techniques. In contrast, several human IgMs demonstrated proof of efficacy in cancer models and models of CNS disorders including multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Reasons for their lack of consideration include difficulties to express, purify and stabilize IgM antibodies, challenge to identify (non-protein) antigens, low affinity binding and fundamental knowledge gaps in carbohydrate and lipid research. This manuscript uses HIgM12 as an example to provide a detailed protocol to detect antigens by Western blotting, immunoprecipitations and immunocytochemistry. HIgM12 targets polysialic acid (PSA) attached to the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM). Early postnatal mouse brain tissue from wild type (WT) and NCAM knockout (KO) mice lacking the three major central nervous system (CNS) splice variants NCAM180, 140 and 120 was used to evaluate the importance of NCAM for binding to HIgM12. Further enzymatic digestion of CNS tissue and cultured CNS cells using endoneuraminidases led us to identify PSA as the specific binding epitope for HIgM12.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere54139
JournalJournal of Visualized Experiments
Volume2016
Issue number112
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 29 2016

Keywords

  • Antigen
  • IgM antibody
  • Immunology
  • Immunotherapy
  • Issue 112
  • Multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM)
  • Neurological disease
  • Polysialic acid (PSA)
  • Regeneration

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience
  • General Chemical Engineering
  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Immunology and Microbiology

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