Chicken Polyclonal Antibody to MAP2A/B
Cat# CPCA-MAP2

Microtubules are 25nm diameter protein rods found in most kinds of eukaryotic cells and are associated with a family of proteins called microtubule associated proteins (MAPs). MAPs play a crucial role in the regulation of microtubule dynamics and interactions in vivo. MAP2 was originally named as one of the higher molecular weight MAPs with an SDS-PAGE molecular weight of about 280kDa (1-3). There is a single mammalian MAP2 gene which may generates two high molecular weight proteins of ~280kDa name MAP2A and MAP2B and multiple lower molecular weight forms usually named MAP2C and MAP2D which run on SDS-PAGE gels at 60-70kDa. The lower molecular weight forms are found in neurons early in development, but as the animal matures they are replaced by the higher molecular weight forms (2). The MAP2A and MAP2B forms include a protein insert missing in MAP2C and MAP2D which forms fine filamentous protrusions from the sides of brain microtubules referred to as the projection domain. This antibody was made against the projection domain sequences and so is specific for MAP2A and MAP2B, EnCor products Prot-r-MAP2-P1, Prot-r-MAP2-P2 and Prot-r-MAP2-P3, corresponding to amino acids 233-1588. MAP2 isoforms are expressed only in neuronal perikarya and dendrites so appropriate antibodies are used to identify neurons and dendrites in cell culture and sections (4-8). Examples of this antibody in use are seen on several EnCor posters, Poster-2, Poster-6, Poster-10, Poster-12, Poster-18 and Poster-27.
This antibody was raised against recombinant constructs of the entire human projection domain, and so recognizes only the high molecular MAP2 forms, MAP2A and MAP2B. The lower molecular weight forms of MAP2, MAP2C and MAP2D are expressed earlier in neuronal development, so expression of the higher molecular forms indicates a later stage in neuronal maturity. The antibody has an unusually high titre and works well on western blots and on formalin fixed and paraffin embedded material. The antibody is widely used and sold through many vendors, see for example the results of Google Scholar search for CPCA-MAP2. EnCor markets a monoclonal antibody binding sequence found in all MAP2 isoforms, MCA-2C4, and others binding epitopes only in MAP2A/B MCA-4H5 and MCA-5H11. We also market a goat polyclonal antibody to MAP2 with properties similar to this. Mouse select image above left for larger view.