Specificity of antibody preparations. (A)
Preparations of purified recombinant G protein α subunits (25 ng)
were resolved by SDS-PAGE and analyzed by silver staining or Western
immunoblotting. Only the region of the gel where G
protein α subunits migrate is shown (7 cm long, 11% polyacrylamide
gel). If the film is exposed to the blots for an extended time (not
shown), a reaction with αs can be observed with the A569
antibody preparation (but not with B087 or R4). (B) Crude membrane
fractions (25 μg protein) were resolved on a 16-cm long, 9%
polyacrylamide gel, and immunoblots are shown.
Numbers at left indicate the position of prestained molecular mass
standards in kilodaltons. The crude membrane preparations are from MDCK
(vector control cells, lanes 1), MA104 (lanes 2), or fibroblasts (lanes
3). The α subunit reactivities of the antibodies are indicated in
parentheses near the top of the panel. A569 detects only
αi in cell membranes because it reacts better with
αi than αs and there is approximately
10-fold more αi than αs in most cells (and
there is little or no αo expressed in these cells). Mab
R4 is specific for αi1 (X. Li et al.,
1995). Monoclonal antibody R4 does not react well for
immunoblotting and is not sensitive enough, by this
method, to detect αi1 in MDCK cells or fibroblasts; only
MA104 membranes are shown for this antibody. The polyclonal caveolin
antibody preparation reacts primarily with one protein band but also
with other minor isoforms of caveolin in the 21–25 kDa region of the
blot. Please note that the 40-kDa band labeled αi (to the
right of lane 3 of the caveolin blot, panel B) is residual signal
remaining from a previous incubation of the blot with the
αi reactive A569 antibody preparation and is not from
reactivity with the caveolin antibodies. Antibodies for Western
immunoblotting were as follows: affinity-purified A569
and B087 at 100 ng/ml, the purified polyclonal caveolin antibodies at
500 ng/ml, culture medium from monoclonal antibody R4-producing cells
diluted 1:25 (vol/vol).