Epithelial glycoprotein is a member of a family of epithelial cell surface antigens homologous to nidogen, a matrix adhesion protein

The cell surface antigen, epithelial glycoprotein, defined by the monoclonal antibody HEA 125, is expressed on virtually all epithelial cell membranes but not on mesodermal or neural cell membranes. The cDNA encoding epithelial glycoprotein was isolated by HEA125 antibody enrichment of colon tumor cDNA expressed transiently in COS cells. The sequence of the epithelial glycoprotein antigen is identical to the cell membrane protein recognized by the monoclonal antibody KS 1/4 and is homologous to the tumor-associated antigen GA733. These proteins share sequence homology to nidogen, an extracellular matrix component that appears to participate in cell-matrix adhesion. These proteins also share a homologous domain found in the B1 chain of laminin, a matrix adhesion protein, and placental protein 12, an insulin-like growth factor I binding protein secreted during pregnancy that has been implicated in regulation of fetal growth. This common domain is also repeated multiple times within the thyroglobulin precursor. These findings suggest epithelial glycoprotein is a cell surface molecule involved in cell-cell or cell-matrix interaction.