Immunochemical identification of 2', 3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase in central and peripheral nervous system myelin, the Wolfgram protein fraction, and bovine oligodendrocytes.

Myelin proteins and the total Wolfgram protein fraction were isolated from the CNS of several mammalian species and characterized with rabbit anti-bovine 2', 3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNP) antisera after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and electrophoretic transfer to nitrocellulose membranes. The corresponding CNP proteins cross-reacted across all species examined, suggesting that the CNP amino acid sequence was fairly well conserved in all six species. The same corresponding proteins were also identified immunochemically in the crude total Wolfgram protein fraction in the region of the W1 myelin protein, thus further supporting and extending two different previous reports indicating a relationship between CNP and the W1 protein. In addition to these CNS enzyme sources, peripheral nervous system CNP (rabbit and rat sciatic nerve) was also recognized by these same rabbit anti-bovine (CNS) CNP antisera. CNP was also detected in freshly isolated delipidated bovine oligodendrocyte membranes. These results suggest that rabbit anti-bovine CNP antisera may be of use in localization and structural studies of this enzyme in several different species and will permit clear identification of CNP in oligodendrocytes and their isolated membrane fractions.