Background

Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells are widely used as a model mammalian cell line for biomedical research. These cells provide a tool for a broad spectrum of cell biology studies, including cell polarity. This includes research into epithelial cell polarity development. Cell polarity is important due to the fact that it indicates the asymmetric organization of several cellular components, including its plasma membrane, cytoskeleton, and organelles. This asymmetry can be useful for specialized functions, for example maintaining a barrier within an epithelium or transmitting signals in neurons.

Technology Overview

This SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University technology is a hybridoma cell line that produces and secretes a monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes a membrane glycoprotein on the apical cell surface on MDCK epithelial cells. The monoclonal antibody is made against a 135-kD glycoprotein (gp135) on the plasma membrane of the MDCK cells. Immunofluorescence microscopy and immunogold electron microscopy of confluent monolayers demonstrate that gp135 has a polarized cell surface distribution and is only localized on the apical surface. This monoclonal antibody provides a very useful reagent for studying epithelial cell polarity.

Further Details:

“The polarized distribution of an apical cell surface glycoprotein is maintained by interactions with the cytoskeleton of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells,” Journal of Cell Biology.

Stage of Development

Technology Readiness Level (TRL): 4 – Validation in laboratory environment.

Benefits

This technology provides a novel tool for the study of MDCK epithelial cell polarity.

Applications

The primary application for this technology is the study of polarity in epithelial cells. This data can be valuable in the study of cellular components such as plasma membrane, cytoskeleton, and organelles.

Opportunity

This technology is available for licensing and would be of interest to researchers involved in the study of epithelial cell polarity, including:

Pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Hospitals.
Universities.
Medical research laboratories.

A Monoclonal Antibody (GP 135) that Recognizes an Epithelial Apical Membrane Glycoprotein

IP Status

Seeking