Skin calcium-binding protein: distribution in other tissues.

The distribution of epidermal calcium-binding protein was examined in rat tissues using immunodiffusion and immunofluorescence techniques to investigate its possible physiological role. Epidermal calcium-binding protein was demonstrated in the basal proliferative cell layer of all Malpighian epithelia and related tissues (epidermis, sebaceous glands, cornea, esophagus, and vagina) as well as in ependyma of brain and in the epithelia of the lens. No immunoreactivity for epidermal calcium-binding protein was found in other tissues including dermis, muscle, cartilage, blood vessels, nerve tissue, liver, endocrine glands, urogenital tract, and intestinal and respiratory epithelium. The presence of a protein immunologically indistinguishable from epidermal calcium-binding protein in proliferative cells suggests that it may be involved in the control of calcium-dependent processes perhaps related to mechanical damage and continued proliferation.