Anti-GFAP, Monoclonal Anti-Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein

Uses

Monoclonal Anti-Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) antibody produced in mouse is suitable for immunohistochemistry at a working dilution of 1:400 using rat brain sections (alcohol-fixed) and microarray analysis. It may be used for immunocytochemical localization of GFAP in human, pig, and rat tissues. It is also suitable for localization of GFAP using immunoblot assays. In indirect immunofluorescent labeling on alcohol-fixed or frozen sections, this antibody stains astrocytes and Bergmann glia cells, gliomas, and other glial cell derived tumors.
The antibody was used as a primary antibody in immunocytochemistry analysis:

• of primary cerebral microvascular EC cultures to study the effect of microglia on the BBB (blood-brain barrier) and its primary constituents
• to study the wound healing effects of matrix metalloproteinase-2 that promote recovery after spinal cord injury
• to study the negative regulation of embryonic neural progenitor cell proliferation by Toll-like receptor 3

General Description

Monoclonal anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) (mouse IgG1 isotype) is derived from the hybridoma produced by the fusion of mouse myeloma cells and splenocytes from an immunized mouse. GFAP is the intermediate filament expressed in astrocytes. The gene encoding it is localized on human chromosome 17q21.31.

The isotype is determined using ImmunoTypeTM Kit (Product Code ISO-1) and by a double diffusion immunoassay using Mouse Monoclonal Antibody Isotyping Reagents (Product Code ISO-2).

Intermediate filaments (IFs) with characteristic 10 nm diameter are a distinct class of molecularly heterogenous cytoskeletal filaments defined by ultrastructural, immunological, and biochemical criteria. Intermediate filaments differ significantly from the other cytoskeletal elements of the cell, namely microtubules and microfilaments, and are components of most eukaryotic cells. GFAP (molecular weight of 50 kDa) is the cell specific IF protein in astrocytes.

Biochem/physiol Actions

The gene GFAP encodes an intermediate filament protein (50kDa) of mature astrocytes, which may be used as a marker for distinguishing astrocytes from other glial cells during development of the central nervous system. Defects in this gene causes Alexander disease. It is a rare disorder of astrocytes in the CNS.