Renal localization of heparan sulfate proteoglycan by immunohistochemistry

Glomerular localization of heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HS-proteoglycan) has been studied immunohistochemically with a highly purified antiserum to bovine aorta HS-proteoglycan core protein. The specificity of the antiserum was enhanced by consecutive fibronectin and chondroitin sulfate-dermatan sulfate proteoglycan (CS-DS proteoglycan) affinity chromatography. The affinity-purified HS-proteoglycan antibody lacked cross-reactivity by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) with CS-DS proteoglycan, fibronectin, laminin, and Type IV collagen. Reactivity of the antiserum with HS-proteoglycan antigen by ELISA was inhibited by HS core protein derived from CsCl density gradient centrifugation after heparinase treatment of the HS-proteoglycan. Immunofluorescent reactivity of the HS-proteoglycan antiserum was observed with bovine glomerular basement membrane, renal interstitium, Bowman's capsule, renal arterioles, and bovine aorta. No staining was seen with rat, mouse, or human glomeruli.