Mouse mucin 1 (MUC1) defined by monoclonal antibodies

• Published in: International journal of cancer 1998-06, Vol.76 (6), p.875-883
• Main Authors: Xing, Pei Xiang, Lees, Catherine, Lodding, Jodie, Prenzoska, Julie, Poulos, Georgia, Sandrin, Mauro, Gendler, Sandra, McKenzie, Ian F. C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal - biosynthesis; Antibodies, Monoclonal - immunology; Antibody Specificity; Biological and medical sciences; Epitopes; General aspects; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred DBA; Miscellaneous. Technology; Mucin-1 - analysis; Mucin-1 - immunology; Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; Tumors
• ISSN: 0020-7136; 1097-0215
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(19980610)76:6<875::AID-IJC18>3.0.CO;2-1

Mucins are highly expressed in many different human cancers and numerous murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to human mucins, particularly Mucin 1 (MUC1), have been produced. However, no such antibodies to murine mucin 1 (muc1) have been described and we now describe 6 different antibodies produced to murine muc1 and to human MUC1 cytoplasmic tail, either by immunising rats, or muc1 o/o mice with synthetic peptides or a fusion protein composed of glutathione‐s‐transferase (GST) linked to the tandem repeat region of muc1. The antibodies to both the extracellular tandem repeat region and to the cytoplasmic tail were found to react with mucin‐containing murine tissues such as breast, stomach, colon, ovary, kidney and pancreas, and the staining patterns were similar to those found in humans. The reagents reacted specifically with muc1 peptides and tissues; however, some cross reactivity with other mucin‐derived peptides was noted, particularly those containing the amino acid sequence TSS. Three different epitopes (TSS, TAVLSGTS and LSGTSSP) of the M30, M70 and MFP25 MAbs were detected. Of interest was the finding that some of the antibodies reacted with murine lymphocytes; it was not clear whether these reactions were due to mucin 1 on mouse lymphocytes (MUC1 was considered to be absent from human lymphocyte), or due to cross reaction with a sialic adhesion molecule on lymphocytes. The antibodies should prove valuable reagents when studying differentiation and expression in murine glandular tissues and the ontogeny of mucin‐secreting tumours. Int. J. Cancer 76:875–883, 1998.© 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.