Immunology of epidermal fibrous proteins.

This report describes the preparation and detection of antibodies to chemically unmodified prekeratin and stratum corneum proteins of cow and human epidermis. The antibodies are specific for epidermal fibrous proteins and do not cross-react with those of hair and nail which have the same molecular configuration but but distinctive physical and chemical properties. The antibodies did cross-react with epidermal fibrous proteins from a number of other vertebrate sources indicating an immunologic relationship among epidermal proteins whose polypeptide compositions and amino acid contents are somewhat dissimilar. Both antibodies give intense immunofluorescence localized to the malpighian layers but not to the stratum corneum. The antigenic sites in the native configuration of the stratum corneum layer may be buried, since denatured stratum corneum proteins react readily with the antibody. These antibodies have permitted the first detection of a form of keratin whose solubility properties are quite different from either prekeratin or stratum corneum proteins.