Baboon, Dog, Horse, Hamster, Rabbit, Rat, Mouse, Cat, Pig

2°C to 8°C  (≤ 30 days)

For long-term storage (> 30 days), aliquot and store at ≤ –20°C. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures

Highly purified human C4 was isolated from normal serum and used to immunize goats. The anti-human C4 polyclonal antisera was tested against normal human plasma by double immunodiffusion, one-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis, quantitative radial immunodifussion, and quantitative rocket immunoelectrophoresis. The antiserum was determined to be monospecific for C4 at varying concentrations.

C4 is a plasma protein that is key to the classical and lectin pathways of complement activation. This polypeptide is approximately a 200 kD andis primarily synthesized in single chains by liver hepatocytes. However, synthesis by epithelial cells of the genitourinary and intestinal tract and by phagocytic mononuclear cells has also been reported, and C4 generally circulates as a three-chain molecule instead of a single chain. 

The C4 protein contains 3 disulfide bonded subunits: α – 93 kD, β – 75 kD, and γ – 32 kD. The normal concentration of C4 in serum/plasma is approximately 400 µg/mL. 

Upon activation of the classical or lectin complement pathway, C4 is cleaved into C4a and C4b fragments. C4a is one of three distinct anaphylatoxins produced directly as a result of complement activation.

Applications of the C4 polyclonal antisera have been evaluated by various research facilities, and include, Western Blot, 1 IHC, 2 Immunofluorescence, 3 and ELISA. 4