MHC Class II, I-A Antibody, Biotin

The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class II molecules are essential components of the immune system. They play a crucial role in the presentation of antigens to T cells, which is vital for initiating immune responses. The MHC class II molecules are primarily expressed on professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) such as macrophages, dendritic cells, and B cells.

MHC class II molecules are transmembrane glycoproteins composed of two non-covalently associated polypeptide chains, α and β. These molecules present processed peptide antigens derived from extracellular proteins to CD4+ T helper cells. This interaction is critical for the activation of T cells and the subsequent immune response.

The MHC class II molecules are encoded by genes located in the MHC region on chromosome 6 in humans and chromosome 17 in mice. In mice, the MHC class II region includes the I-A and I-E subregions, which encode the α and β chains of the MHC class II molecules.

The MHC Class II (I-A) mouse antibody, specifically the M5/114.15.2 clone, is a monoclonal antibody that reacts with the mouse MHC class II molecules encoded by the I-A and I-E subregions. This antibody is widely used in immunological research to study the expression and function of MHC class II molecules on various cell types.

The M5/114.15.2 antibody detects a polymorphic determinant present on B cells, monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells, and activated T lymphocytes from mice carrying specific haplotypes (H-2^b, H-2^d, H-2^q, H-2^p, H-2^r, and H-2^u) but not from mice carrying other haplotypes (H-2^s or H-2^f) .

Biotinylation is a common technique used to label antibodies with biotin, a vitamin that binds with high affinity to streptavidin and avidin. The biotinylated MHC Class II (I-A) mouse antibody can be used in various applications, including flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and immunoprecipitation. The biotin-streptavidin interaction allows for the detection and quantification of the antibody-bound MHC class II molecules using streptavidin-conjugated enzymes or fluorophores .

The MHC Class II (I-A) mouse antibody has several applications in immunological research:

• Flow Cytometry: Used to analyze the expression of MHC class II molecules on the surface of various cell types.
• Immunohistochemistry: Used to detect MHC class II molecules in tissue sections, both frozen and paraffin-embedded.
• Immunoprecipitation: Used to isolate MHC class II molecules from cell lysates for further analysis.
• Blocking Assays: Used to inhibit MHC class II-mediated antigen presentation to study the role of these molecules in immune responses .