Detection of isoform 4 of the plasma membrane calcium pump in human tissues by using isoform-specific monoclonal antibodies

The epitope location and specificity of monoclonal antibodies JA9, 5F10 and JA3, raised against the human plasma membrane Ca2+ pump (hPMCA), were analysed by using synthetic peptides of the corresponding epitopes as well as the complete isoforms, hPMCA4b, hPMCA4a and hPMCA1b, expressed in COS-1 cells. The experiments with the peptides showed that JA9 reacted specifically with a region containing residues 51-75 of hPMCA4 (a or b), but not with the same region of isoforms 1, 2 or 3. JA3 reacted with residues 1156-1180, a region unique to hPMCA4b. 5F10 reacted in the region of residues 719-738, which is highly conserved in all PMCA isoforms. Indeed, 5F10 recognized all three isoforms expressed in COS-1 cells. JA9, in contrast, reacted with both variants a and b of hPMCA4 but not with hPMCA1, and JA3 recognized exclusively hPMCA4b. We used these antibodies to discern the distribution of hPMCA4a and hPMCA4b in human brain, heart, kidney and lung. In Western blots of human brain samples, we could identify both hPMCA4a and hPMCA4b. Heart tissue also showed isoform 4b, and probably 4a. In contrast, kidney and lung showed primarily hPMCA4b. In brain, overlapping bands that did not correspond to either variant of hPMCA4 were detected, and in kidney a band migrating in the same position as hPMCA1b was observed. The distribution of the a and b forms of hPMCA4 at the protein level, as analysed by these antibodies, is consistent with the available data about the abundance of mRNAs for the hPMCA isoforms. The presence of hPMCA4b in all the samples supports the proposed role of this isoenzyme as a constitutive form of the pump.