Immunological properties of type IV collagen from mouse kidney

Some immunological properties of mouse kidney type IV collagen (MKIVC) were investigated. In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), rabbit anti-MKIVC antiserum reacted strongly with MKIVC but not at all with type I collagen or laminin of mouse origin. Thus, the purified MKIVC preparation was not contaminated with detectable amounts of other constituents of the extracellular matrix and the basement membrane including interstitial collagens, as suggested previously (T. Oikawa et al., Chem. Pharm. Bull., 34, 789 (1986)). In ELISA inhibition assay, human kidney type IV collagen (HKIVC) only partially inhibited the binding of MKIVC to anti-MKIVC antiserum. Similarly, HKIVC showed a far weaker binding capacity to the antiserum compared to MKIVC in ELISA direct binding assay. After the anti-MKIVC antiserum was absorbed with acetone powder of human kidney, the resulting antiserum still possessed a considerable binding activity to MKIVC but did not react with HKIVC. In accord with these findings, anti-MKIVC antiserum immunostained both mouse and human renal basement membranes, while it stained the former but not the latter after being absorbed with human kidney. Taken together, these results suggest that MKIVC possesses at least two antigenic determinants; one but not the other cross-reacts with human kidney basement membrane collagen.