Anti-Microtubule Associated Protein 2 C/D (MAP2C/D) Antibody

Microtubules are 25nm diameter protein rods found in most kinds of eukaryotic cells. Microtubules are associated with a family of proteins called microtubule associated proteins (MAPs), which includes the protein τ (tau) and a group of proteins referred to as MAP1, MAP2, MAP3, MAP4 and MAP5 (Kindler & Gardner 1994). MAP2 is made up of two ~280 kDa bands referred to as MAP2a and MAP2b. A third lower molecular weight form, MAP2C and MAP2D, corresponds to a pair of protein bands running at ~70 kDa on SDS-PAGE gels. All these MAP2 forms are derived from a single gene by alternate transcription, and all share a C-terminal sequence which includes either three or four microtubule binding peptide sequences, which are very similar to those found in the related microtubule binding protein τ (tau). MAP2 isoforms are expressed only in neuronal cells and specifically in the perikarya and dendrites of these cells. MAP2C and MAP2D are expressed earlier in development than the MAP2a and MAP2b isoforms, so that this antibody is a more useful marker of neuronal development. MAP2 has been recently shown to be the specific receptor for the neurosteroid pregnenolone (FontaineLenore V. et al., 2006).