Antibody News

NOX4 is an NADPH oxidase that generates superoxide within the cell. It is primarily found in vascular cells, fibroblasts, and osteoclasts, with abundant expression in the kidney. Unlike its family members NOX1 and NOX2, NOX4 is constitutively active, producing primarily H2O2 rather than O2. This different species generated triggers NOX4-specific actions in downstream cell signaling. NOX4 regulates signaling cascades through phosphatase inhibition and also function as an oxygen sensor that regulates the KCNK3 potassium channel. NOX4 appears to be involved in a wide variety of processes from insulin regulation, apoptosis, and bone resorption, to LPS-mediated activation of NFkB. Not surprisingly, NOX4 has been implicated in hypertension, atherosclerosis, and...

The product of the Parkinson's disease 7 (Park7/DJ-1) gene belongs to the peptidase C56 family of proteins and appears to have two transcriptional variants. It is a positive regulator of androgen receptor-dependent transcription, and some evidence suggests it may also function as a redox-sensitive chaperone and sensor for oxidative stress. It apparently protects neurons against oxidative stress and cell death. Defects in the Park7 gene result in the autosomal recessive form of early-onset Parkinson’s disease. While much work has focused on underlying genetic factors in this disease, less is known about the specific molecular interactions. Jin, et. al. first used Park7 antibody to identify five novel proteins complexed with Park7/DJ-1 and alpha-synuclein, suggesting their role as docking proteins and clearing up some...

Huntington's disease is an inherited progressive neurodegenerative disorder which impairs cognition, causes issues with movement, and has associated behavioral changes and emotional problems. There is currently no cure for Huntington's disease, but research is focused on understanding the function of the Huntington's disease gene. Learn more in our infographic below.

Resources:

1. HDSA
2. Mayo Clinic
3. NIH
4. NIH
5...

Parkinson's disease affects the nervous system which controls movement. Damage to the levels of dopamine in the brain impairs the ability to relay messages to parts of the body which control movement. While the exact cause of the disease is unknown, researchers are examining genetic causes linked to the LRRK2 gene and environmental factors.

Resources:

1. UMM
2. PDF
3. BMJ
4. Mayo Clinic
5. ...

The neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1), commonly referred to as tachykinin receptor 1, is a 401 amino acid, 46 kDA protein encoded by the TACR1 gene localized on chromosome 2 (2p13.1-p12). It is a member of the tachykinin receptor gene family (including NK2 Receptor and NK3 Receptor) which is involved in the activation of phospholipase C, interactions with G proteins, and functioning in multiple hydrophobic transmembrane regions. NK1 is highly prevalent in the central nervous system (CNS), specifically in the amygdala, striatum, peripheral tissues, and some hypothalamic and thalamic nuclei. It functions in association with specific G proteins, acting in a phosphatidylinositol-calcium second messenger system as well as operating in the regulation of phosphatidylinositol metabolism of ...

Plumbagin (5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) is a toxin, named after the plant genus Plumbago from which it was first isolated in 1968 (1). Since its discovery there have been a wide variety of publications describing its effects on fertility, hyperlipedaemia (high cholesterol) and its use as an anti-bacterial. More recently, there have been multiple efforts to synthesise derivatives and analogues of plumbagin in order to increase its potential as an anti-cancer agent.

Resistance of tumour cells to apoptosis is a major obstacle to be overcome when treating cancerous malignancies; however plumbagin has been shown to induce apoptosis in several cancer cell lines, including those of the breast, ...

Co-factor of BRCA1, also known as COBRA1, was first identified as a protein that binds to the tumour suppressor protein encoded by the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA1 (1). It was subsequently found to be identical to subunit B of the Negative Elongation Factor (NELF) complex (2). NELF is composed of four subunits (A, B, C or D, and E) and plays a pivotal role in the transcriptional pausing of RNA polymerase II.

Broadly speaking there are three main steps to transcription – initiation, elongation and termination. Each step is tightly controlled, with NELF being one of the major factors to regulate elongation. NELF and DSIF (DRB-Sensitivity Inducing Factor) bind to RNA Polymerase II once it is downstream of the promoter sequence of the target gene, which results in transcriptional pausing. Various activators of...

The SM047 antibody is an IgM monoclonal antibody that was developed by McCluggage's group at the UK Royal Group of Hospitals and recognizes a multivalent antigen from ovarian carcinoma (OvC) cells (1). Early studies indicate that the epitope is specifically expressed in the adenocarcinoma glycocalyx, and is most strongly expressed in serous OvC subtypes. Further work has established the SM047 antibody as an ovarian-specific immunohistochemical (IHC) marker within a larger panel capable of distinguishing between adenocarcinomas of non-mucinous versus colonic origin.  The creators of the SM047 antibody have also successfully investigated similar diagnostic applications in patient peritoneal fluid cytological preparations (2).

Carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) is a member of the carbonic anhydrase family - enzymes that enable the rapid conversion of carbon dioxide and water into carbonic acid, protons, and bicarbonate ions. Carbonic anhydrases have a widespread role in regulating pH in normal tissues and are abundantly found in all mammalian tissues. CAIX itself is one of the most hypoxically-inducible genes due to its stability and membrane location. It has become a reliable hypoxia histochemical marker, as well as an important diagnostic marker for various cancers, most notably renal cell carcinoma (RCC). A Swiss group used the CAIX antibody in their differential PET imaging studies with tracers in preclinical mouse models (1). These investigators were establishing and monitoring three different osteosarcoma phenotypes for...

Actins are extremely highly conserved structural proteins found in all eukaryotic cell cytoskeletons that govern cell structure, movement, and shape integrity. Six distinct actin isoforms, each encoded by a different gene and developmentally-regulated as well as tissue-specific-regulated, have been identified in mammalian cells. The alpha and beta isotypes are cytoplasmic and expressed in a wide variety of cells. However, expression of the alpha skeletal, alpha cardiac, alpha vascular, and gamma enteric variants are more specialized and restricted to specific muscle cell types. Alpha actin smooth muscle is of particular interest as there are only a small number of genes with expression limited to vascular smooth muscle cells, and can be used as a myofibroblast differentiation marker. The...

GAPDH is a 146 kDa tetramer metabolic enzyme within the glycolytic pathway that reversibly oxidatively phosphorylates glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. It may have other additional functions in transcriptional activation. It is highly expressed due to its housekeeping functional role, and the prevalent expression of GAPDH has facilitated its use as an internal loading control – traditionally for mRNA expression comparisons – but also in protein studies. GAPDH antibody serves as an excellent standard, and this is reflected in its ubiquitous usage as such in scientific experiments and the literature. The GAPDH antibody and analysis of the tumoricidal protein-lipid complex HAMLET’s effect upon cancer cells demonstrated that HAMLET not only kills cancer cells but also activates an innate immune response in the surrounding tissues through ion...

Fanconi anemia (FANC) is a heterogenous, autosomal-recessive cancer susceptibility genetic disorder that is characterized by a wide array of symptoms, including congenital defects, progressive bone marrow failure due to DNA-damage hypersensitivity, chromosomal instability, and poor DNA repair. The protein FANCD2 is involved in mediating cellular resistance to DNA cross-linking and DNA synthesis arrest that is triggered by ionizing radiation (IR). The FANCD2 antibody was used to further characterize how oxidative stress and damage trigger formation of a multimeric nuclear complex of various FANC gene products, which in turn activates FANCD2 through FANCD2 monoubiquitination (1).  Danish researchers employed the FANCD2 antibody in provocative chromatin spatial colocalization studies (2). Based on their data, they propose that the surveillance of genome regulators (ie...