Immunofluorescent visualization of myosin in human epidermal cells

An antiserum against guinea pig epidermal myosin was used for the localization of myosin in frozen sections of human epidermis and cultured human epidermal cells. The antiserum gave a single precipitin band with epidermal myosin but did not cross react with muscle myosin or epidermal keratin in immunodiffusion plates. Strong staining, in the indirect immunofluorescence technique, was observed in cells of the lower layers of human and guinea pig epidermis. The antibody also reacted with myofibrils, intracellular filaments in cultured human epidermal cells and fibers in 3T3, HeLa and PtK2 cells. Double immunofluorescence staining using antisera against myosin and keratin revealed no obvious differences in staining patterns in filaments of cultured human epidermal cells.