Blogs for April 2017

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is responsible for binding peptide fragments arising from pathogens in order to display them on the cell surface for recognition from immune cells.  Once recognized, the foreign pathogen is typically evaded. The MHC complex is broken into two categories, MHC Class I proteins and MHC Class II proteins.  MHC complex I and II proteins are all very different and contain specific molecules to bind different peptides – in fact, they have been described as the most polymorphic genes there are. The MHC Class II RT1B antibody can be used to bind the monomorphic determinant of the rat I-A antigen, which is found on B-lymphocytes, dendritic cells and some macrophages. Often times, a neuroinflammatory response develops after brain injury and remains for weeks post injury.  Using a MHC Class II RT1B antibody is a useful way to understand...

c-Fos is a member of the AP-1 transcription factor family under the Fos protein family umbrella, alongside Fra-1, Fra-2 and Fos-B.  Also in the AP-1 transcription family are the Jun proteins, c-Jun, Jun-B and Jun-D.  Each member of the AP-1 transcription family is a phosphonuclear protein composed of a carboxy-terminal leucine zipper domain, a basic domain and an amino terminal transactivation domain. Together the Fos and Jun families compose a dimeric complex that binds to response elements on DNA in order to regulate gene expression, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, tumorigenesis and more.  Their induction can be catalyzed by a number of signals, including cytokines and growth factors, stress and viral infection. ...

Immunocytochemistry (ICC) can be a very effective method for visualizing the localization and behavior of intracellular proteins, however the protocol for each ICC experiment should be optimized specifically to the cell being examined.  Permeabilization, or the puncturing of the cell membrane, is an extremely important step in detecting intracellular antigens with a primary antibody because it allows entry through the cell membrane. Permeabilization is introduced after cells have been prepared with a fixative agent to initiate protein cross-linking, such as formaldehyde or ethanol. However, determining the amount of exposure to a permeabilization agent is crucial, seeing as a hard tissue organ may require a longer incubation over a soft tissue organ and treating your sample incorrectly will lead to unreliable results. 

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