Anti-Human IgA (Secreted) (Clone HP6141) - Purified No Carrier Protein (I-1271-1.0mg)

IgA antibodies protect epithelial surfaces from infection by preventing the attachment of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens to epithelial cells as well as by neutralizing bacterial toxins at mucosal surfaces1. IgA antibodies also provide protection against infection in newborns via the ingestion of breast milk, into which IgA is naturally secreted. IgA can also act as an opsonin and weak complement activator as part of the immune defense response. Secretory IgA also plays a role in regulating the gut microbiome2. IgA-secreting plasma cells are found in lamina propria, a type of connective tissue located immediately below the basement membrane of surface epithelia1. Once secreted, IgA antibodies are transported to the external surface of the epithelium as a dimer, where they bind to the poly- Ig receptor present on the basolateral surface of epithelial cells. Transcytosis and cleavage of the receptor then occur, which releases the extracellular portion of the Ig receptor while still attached to the Fc region of IgA. This molecule can then diffuse into the extracellular space and drain into the bloodstream.