The occurrence and immunology of peptidylarginine deiminase and its preparation from bovine epidermis by an improved method.

Peptidylarginine deiminase activity has been found in some tissues from at least one representative of each vertebrate class, suggesting that the occurrence of the enzyme throughout the vertebrates is widespread. Using a three-step procedure including affinity chromatography on arginine agarose, a greatly improved purification of bovine epidermal peptidylarginine deiminase is presented. The purified enzyme preparation contains a 70-75 kD band and several minor components when examined by sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis. A polyclonal antibody raised to the enzyme of bovine brain cross-reacts with human and newborn rat epidermis by indirect immunofluorescence. This cross-reactivity is markedly diminished by absorption of the antibody to the purified brain enzyme.