| abstract |
A purified protein kalinin is disclosed that provides adhesion between epidermal keratinocytes and the underlying dermis. Purified kalinin localizes to the anchoring filaments of basement membranes of human subepithelial skin, trachea, esophagus, cornea and amnion when exposed to monoclonal antibody BM165. The protein has a molecular weight of approximately 400-440kDa and separates on Western blots into fragments of 165kDa, 155kDa, 130kDa and 105kDa when its disulfide bonds are reduced. The epitope of BM165 is identified on the 165kDa fragment when the blots are probed with BM165. The protein has a rotary shadow image which reveals an asymmetric 170nm long rod having two globules at a first end and a single globule at a second end of the rod. A method is also disclosed for improving adhesion of transplanted keratinocytes to an underlying substrate, such as the human dermis, by optimizing the production of kalinin from cultured keratinocytes, or providing an exogenous source of kalinin between the keratinocytes and substrate. |