Monoclonal antibodies against human BAP31 for immunocytochemistry.

Human BAP31 is a 28 kDa polytopic integral protein of the ER and part of a large BAP hetero-oligomeric complex that includes the related BAP29 protein and connections to actomyosin. BAP31 interacts with mIgD, cellubrevin, major histocompatibility complex class I, and BCL-2/BCL-X(L), and plays an important role in regulating the egress of these proteins and in apoptosis. Northern blot analyses have revealed BAP31 RNA transcripts in many tissues, including thymus, spleen, brain, kidney, testis, liver, and lung. However, prominent BAP31 protein expression analyzed by immunohistochemistry is restricted to a minority of cells in normal human tissue. Further studies should be made to verify the expression profiles of BAP31 in the protein level. Production of high affinity MAbs suitable for immunohistochemical staining has lagged. Here we generate a set of MAbs that could be used in Western blot, immunoprecipitation, and immunocytochemistry, providing a new powerful tool for investigation of expression profile of BAP31 protein and furthers the study of BAP31 functions.