Detection of Mouse MGL1/CD301a by a Specific Monoclonal Antibody

Abstract

Macrophage galactose-type and calcium-type lectins (MGL/CD301) are type 2 transmembrane proteins expressed by macrophages and dendritic cells. The bindings of these lectins are effectively blocked by galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine as monosaccharides, although some oligosaccharides exhibit higher affinity than these monosaccharides. Mice have MGL1 (CD301a) and 2 (CD301b) genes, whereas humans have a single MGL gene (Tsuiji et al. 2002). Recent studies by the use of Mgl1-/- mice revealed that these lectins are involved in the recognition and removal of apoptotic cells generated X-irradiation during the development of embryos and in the inflammatory tissue formation induced by chemically modified proteins (Yuita et al. 2005; Sato et al. 2005). The expression of MGL1 can be assessed at mRNA levels and at protein levels by specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Some mouse MGL-specific mAbs used in early studies such as LOM-14, LOM-11, ER-MP-23 are cross-reactive between MGL1 and 2 (Mizuochi et al. 1997). Although expression of mouse MGL on dendritic cells and its involvement in the uptake of glycoconjugates using dendritic cells induced in vitro, further characterizations of cells expressing these lectins in situ are necessary (Denda-Nagai et al. 2002). The present manual is to detect mouse MGL1 in tissues and on cell surfaces by mAb LOM-8.7.