Anti-MBP antibodies are used in the immunodetection of the protein myelin basic protein. In humans, the canonical protein has a reported length of 304 amino acid residues and a mass of 33.1 kDa. Its subcellular localization is in the membrane. Up to 6 different isoforms have been reported for this protein. It is notably expressed in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and caudate. A member of the Myelin basic protein family, MBP is known to be involved with pathways of aging and nervous system development. Post-translational modifications have been described, including methylation, acetylation, protein cleavage and phosphorylation. MBP is also used as a cellular marker for characterizing oligodendrocytes. Synonyms for this target antigen include myelin A1 protein, myelin membrane encephalitogenic protein, and Golli-MBP. MBP gene orthologs have been reported in the mouse, rat, bovine, frog, chimpanzee and chicken species.