Some biochemical properties of pemphigoid antigen bound to the surface of dissociated epidermal basal cells.

Bullous pemphigoid antigen (BP Ag) is a cell surface marker of epidermal basal cells. The functional role of this molecule is unknown. Epidermal cell suspensions obtained by trypsinization of skin show a population of epidermal basal cells with a polar rim of antigen as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence technique. This study shows that treatment of these cells suspensions with a variety of proteolytic and glycosidic enzymes failed to remove the antigen from these basal cells. BP Ag was also stable upon incubation with distilled water, Triton X-100, PBS, and 1 M NaCl. Treatment of epidermal basal cells with 2 N NaSCN, 1% periodic acid, and 4 M urea, as well as acidic pH or 56 degrees C temperature, abolished the reactivity of these cells with BP antibodies.