Regional distribution in the mouse of proteins homologous to artery-specific antigenic proteins (ASAPs)

We have reported the sequences of four novel proteins derived from extracts of human aortic tissue and a cDNA library from human aortic adventitia. Th ese proteins are immunoreactive with serum immunoglobulins from patients wi th abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), and they have homologies of amino acid sequence with microfibrillar proteins of connective tissue. We are reporti ng separately that two of these proteins are artery-specific antigenic prot eins (ASAPs) in man. The present work investigates the regional distributio n of these two proteins (AAAP-40 and MatCAM-1) in mouse (E-beta-b). Antibodies were raised in rabbit against polypeptides encoding novel amino acid sequences, unique to these proteins (e.g., not reported in GenBank). I mmunohistochemical studies with these two specific antibodies show conspicu ous immunoreactivity of collagen-associated microfibrils in the aortic adve ntitia of the murine abdominal and thoracic aorta. Immunoreactive peptides were not present in brain, muscle, or kidney. These findings support the hy pothesis that proteins occur in the mouse that are homologous to a unique f amily of aortic microfibrillar proteins in man. (C) 1999 Academic Press.