Partial characterization of chicken Thy-1 glycoprotein by monoclonal antibodies

A panel of monoclonal antibodies has been raised to Thy-1 purified from chicken brain. They were produced by immunization of Balb/c mice with a Thy-1-enriched (Sephacryl B) fraction of a lentil lectin-positive fraction from solubilized brain membrane proteins. Antibody-secreting clones were found to be specific for Thy-1 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western transfer and immunoblotting. Four of the monoclonal antibodies were of the IgG2b isotype, one was IgG1, and one was IgM. In additivity and competition ELISA, it was found that three of the antibodies bound to the same (or similar) epitopes, and three had different epitope specificities. These monoclonal antibodies have been used to examine the development and distribution of Thy-1 in the central nervous system of chicken.