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. These proteins are immunoreactive with serum immunoglobulins from patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), and they have homologies of amino acid sequence with microfibrillar proteins of connective tissue. We are reporting separately that two of these proteins are artery-specific antigenic proteins (ASAPs) in man. The present work investigates the regional distribution 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). Immunohistochemical studies with these two specific antibodies show conspicuous immunoreactivity of collagen-associated microfibrils in the aortic adventitia of the murine abdominal and thoracic aorta. Immunoreactive peptides were not present in brain, muscle, or kidney. These findings support the hypothesis that proteins occur in the mouse that are homologous to a unique family of aortic microfibrillar proteins in man. (C) 1999 Academic Press.