The biochemical and immunocytochemical characterisation of an antigen on the membrane of basal cells of the epidermis

A murine monoclonal antibody, LICR-LON-23.10, which had been raised against a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma cell line (LICR-LON-HN5), recognises an antigen which is present on the membrane of basal cells of the epidermis. The tissue distribution of the antigen, as defined using immunohistochemical techniques, suggests that it is expressed preferentially on cells which are adjacent to a basement membrane. In squamous cell carcinomas, the antigen is expressed uniformly on undifferentiated cells, but in areas of keratinisation, the antigen is absent. The antigen recognised by the antibody was characterised as being a pair of glycoproteins with molecular masses of 120 and 135 daltons. The antibody was used for flow-cytometric analyses of epidermal keratinocyte preparations. Together with other basal cell markers, this antibody may be useful in the characterisation of the epidermal basal cell population as well as in broadening our understanding of the interaction between epithelial cell populations and their relationship with basement-membrane components.