Immunology of chondroitin/dermatan sulfate

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
V C HascallA H Plaas

Abstract

Variable substitutions and locations of the sulfate esters along the backbone of chondroitin/dermatan sulfate chains, combined with their carbohydrate structures, present topographies to immune systems which can be recognized as antigenic. This has led to the development of a number of monoclonal antibodies which recognize distinct epitopes in the native structures of these glycosaminoglycan chains. In some studies, the original chondroitin/dermatan sulfate proteoglycan was digested with chondroitinase enzymes before being used as an immunogen. in this case, the linkage oligosaccharides remaining bound to the core protein contain a modified (4,5-unsaturated) hexuronic acid derivative at their non-reducing ends as a result of the eliminase mechanism of the enzyme. This 'haptenic' structure is highly antigenic and has led to the development of a number of monoclonal antibodies which recognize this structure as part of their epitopes. Examples of the use of some of these monoclonal antibodies for localization of proteoglycan structures in tissue sections and on transblots are described. The precise structures are known for only a few of the native epitopes recognized by these monoclonal antibodies. Recent analytical methods have b...Continue Reading

Citations

Jun 1, 1996·International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the International Society for Developmental Neuroscience·J M SorreliA I Caplan
Nov 14, 1997·The Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry : Official Journal of the Histochemistry Society·A A CapehartE L Krug

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