Blogs for November 2010: Novus Biologicals

"Come Fly with Me" - New Drosophila Model Developed for Direct in Vivo Study of Histones

Monday, November 29, 2010 - 05:37

Forming the major protein component of chromatin, histones are essential to the structure and organization of chromosomes, forming the nucleosome around which DNA is packaged and wrapped.

Antibody studies have revealed histones undergo various posttranslational modifications which affect their interaction with DNA and nuclear proteins, allowing them to play diverse roles in biological processes such as cell division, gene regulation and DNA repair. For example, the outer “tail” of H3 and H4, and central core of H2A, H2B and H3 can undergo covalent modification via methylation, ubiquitination, phosphorylation and many other routes. These...

New Research Takes the "Gag" Off to Reveal HIV Secrets

Wednesday, November 24, 2010 - 05:35

Antibody studies into the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) centre around Gag, a highly complex polyprotein that has so far defied attempts to unravel its complex and varied modes of action. Now, a team from the NIST Center for Neutron Research have revealed a new model which has allowed the protein to be studied in far more clarity. The hope with antibody suppliers is that it will pave the way to understanding many more large, unfathomable proteins.

HIV1 antibodies have uncovered at least some of the complexities of the Gag protein, which performs highly complex tasks during viral assembly, twisting into convoluted shapes within the host cell. During the initial stages, membrane associations are formed which enable HIV genetic material to be transported to the cell membrane. The opposite end of the Gag protein becomes anchored here, elongating into a rod-like shape which helps form a barrier around the virion...

ATXN2 Identified as New Genetic Risk Factor for Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS)

Friday, November 19, 2010 - 05:30

Ataxin antibodies are used in the study of autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia (ADCA) diseases. These neurodegenerative disorders are highly heterogeneous, characterized by progressive, irreversible, atrophy of the cerebellum and spinal cord.

Ataxin 2 is encoded by the ATXN2 gene, mutation of which can lead to Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2 (SCA2). Recently, Ataxin-2 antibodies were used in an international study that showed ATXN2 to be a genetic risk factor in another neurodegenerative disorder - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease. The mutation causing SCA2 is identified by expanded CAG repeats in the coding region of ATXN2. The expansion is extremely variable in size, but averages 34-52 repeats; it results in an elongated polyglutamine tract (called a polyQ expansion) in encoded Ataxin-2.

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SEPT4 is Targeted to Prevent Stem Cell Cancers

Monday, November 15, 2010 - 05:28

The antibodies in our stem cell antibody catalog are used in many areas of research, from developing therapies to investigating cancer. These research areas are related, because although pluripotent stem cells have the potential to replace organ transplants and heal paralysis, they also have the potential to develop into cancerous cells. Now, researchers at the Rockefeller University have discovered a link between stem cell apoptosis and tumor development in mice.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been identified in many human cancers. Antibody studies have shown CSCs can accelerate cell proliferation, increase DNA-repair mechanisms and block apoptosis. The development of stem cell marker antibodies to these proteins is an important area of CSC research.

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New Study Links Tau Mutations to Microglial Immune Response

Monday, November 8, 2010 - 05:26

Tau proteins are abundant in the axons of neurons in the central nervous system (CNS), and play a key role in microtubule formation and stabilization. Antibody studies have identified six tau isoforms, all produced by alternative mRNA splicing of the MAPT gene. We at Novus Biologicals have nearly 50 antibodies matched to tau proteins on our antibody database.

Tau mutations can give rise to a number of neurodegenerative disorders, such as the taupathies. These are characterized by the formation of hyperphosphorylated filamentous aggregates, and tangles of paired helical filaments such as those found in the brain cells of Alzheimer’s disease patients.

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