Anti-chicken IgG and Horseradish Peroxidase??

[kittyinthedark]

I'm not sure if this is the right forum, so please move if necessary...


I was researching some cardiovascular health info with my dad, and came across these proteins called Anti-Chicken IgG which are often conjugated with Horseradish Peroxidase. I could not for the life of me find out how they got named this way. I am under the impression that the "anti-chicken" has something to do with an immunoglobulin not found in chickens (but is obviously found in donkeys, mice, goats, and rabbits...) or perhaps the "opposite" counterpart of said immunoglobulin like with Rh+ and Rh-, but horseradish peroxidase? WTF? Where on earth did these names comes from??? I am very confused...

 

[BilZ0r]

I think you've gotten things awefully confused. Horseradish peroxidase coupled antichicken IgG is an experimental tool for labeling proteins. You have an antibody, which is raised to bind to chicken immunoglobulin G (IgG), you couple this to horseradish peroxidase, and hence where ever you have chicken IgG, you get horeradish peroxidase. Then you raise chicken IgGs to bind to whatever protein you're interested in. So you first label the protein with the chicken IgGs, then you label the chicken IgGs with your horseradish peroxidase coupled anti-chicken IgGs. You use a stain which shows up horseradish peroxidase and now you can see whereever your particular protein is.

This will have been used to label some cardivascular protein in the experiments you were looking at.

 

[kittyinthedark]

No no no, you're not getting my question! I understand how it works just fine, but where did the names come from? I mean, yes, I suppose the animal immunoglobulin ones are pretty self-descriptive, but come on! No fancy shmancy scientific name?? And I'm still left wondering about horseradish peroxidase.... What's the "horseradish" for? Protein labeling is this complex-sounding oh-so-serious scientific process (i did some myself for a project i worked on my freshman year of college with a university researcher - it was super cool!), but I'm reading these articles and just repeating to myself "Goat anti-chicken IgG? Anti-chicken!!! RABBIT ANTI-CHICKEN!!!" and laughing myself silly! It's almost impossible to read one of these articles cuz I can't stop cracking up!

And i must say, the research they're doing in this area is fascinating! They're getting closer and closer everyday to very individual-tailored treatments for heart disease - this method has allowed them to determine that there are a lot more factors that lead up to heart attacks than previously thought.

 

[BilZ0r]

Horseradish peroxidase, because it is a peroxidase that was isolated from horseradish roots. Goat anti-chicken IgG, because it's an IgG isolated from goats which is reactive to chicken IgG.

 

[nanobrain]

LMAO

 

[moracca]

whats so funny?

 

[nanobrain]

^you are right. anti-chicken is very serious business.

 

[moracca]

damn straight.