Antibodies

CD38 is a 42 kD type II transmembrane glycoprotein that uses nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) as a substrate to form cyclic adenosine diphosphate ribose (cADPR). This novel multifunctional ectoenzyme has both cyclase and hydrolase enzymatic activity, and is expressed on the surface of most white blood cells (CD4+, CD8+, B-lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells).  It is also expressed at high levels in normal tissues and organs like the pancreas, liver, and kidney as well as in malignant lymphoma and neuroblastoma.

Keratins, also called cytokeratins, are a family of filamentous structural proteins that form the intermediate filaments within epithelial cells. Keratins are differentially expressed depending on both the epithelial cell origin and degree of differentiation. An antibody to any given keratin is useful either as a stand-alone or part of an antibody panel to help identify or clarify tissue origin. Cytokeratin 18 (CK18) is a 45 kD normal constituent of the hepatocyte cytoskeleton and is expressed in combination with cytokeratin 8.

The Ki67 antigen is a prototypic cell cycle-related protein expressed by proliferating cells in all phases of the active cell cycle (G1, S, G2 and M). It is a non-histone nuclear protein originally identified in a Hodgkin's lymphoma-derived cell line. Ki67 interacts with KIF15 and MKI67IP, and is approximately 395 kD. It exhibits a complex nuclear localization pattern that is cell cycle-dependent - expression peaks during late G1, S, G2, and M phases, but is undetectable in G0.

Podoplanin is a mucin-type 1 transmembrane glycoprotein found in a wide range of tissues. It appears to be differentially expressed in endothelial cells of lymphatic but not blood vessel origin. In normal skin and kidney, podoplanin co-localizes with VEGFR3/FLT4, another marker for lymphatic endothelial cells. It appears to be involved in lymphangioigenesis and cell migration and is regulated by the lymphatic-specific homeobox gene Prox1. Podoplanin has also been found to be expressed on a wide variety of tumors.

SOX9 is a member of the SOX family of HMG DNA-binding domain transcription factors. The protein encoded by this gene recognizes the sequence CCTTGAG along with other members of the HMG-box class DNA-binding proteins. cAMP and protein kinase A (PKA) stimulation appear to induce SOX-9 nuclear translocation through its nuclear import upon phosphorylation at two particular serine residues.   It is required for the development and differentiation of multiple cell lineages and is expressed in primary and recurrent prostate cancers.

Mucus is the viscous secretion that covers epithelial surfaces (trachea, colon, and cervix) and consists of twenty highly glycosylated proteins called mucins. The mucin family all are high-molecular weight proteins with oligosaccharides attached to the serine or threonine residues of their core protein backbone by O-glycosidic linkages. Mucins play fundamental roles in mucosal cell protection, lubrication, and communication with their external environment as detailed by Corfield¹. They have been implicated in epithelial renewal and differentiation.

Viruses infect host cells with their genetic material and then reproduce. They are found in humans, plants, bacteria and other places where they can infect cells, adapt and change. In celebration of Virus Appreciation Day, a day discover more about viruses, learn more about viruses in our infographic.

Cyanine dyes are members of the polymethine synthetic dye family historically used to increase photographic emulsion sensitivity. Cyanine dyes have versatile applications and are commonly used as fluorescent labels for proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules. They are particularly suited for biomedical imaging, protein-protein interactions, proteomics, and transcriptomics. Different variants have distinctive spectral properties – for example, Cyanine dye 7 (Cy7) has a strong absorption peak at 747nm while Cyanine dye 5.5 (Cy5.5) has a strong absorption peak at 675nm.

Fas is a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-receptor superfamily and plays a key role in the physiological regulation of programmed cell death. This receptor contains a death domain which enables the formation of a signaling complex that includes Fas-associated death domain protein (FADD), caspase 8, and caspase 10. The auto-proteolytic processing of these complexed caspases triggers a downstream cascade that leads to membrane-mediated apoptosis.

CD56 is a member of the Ig super family and comprises five Ig-like domains and two extracellular fibronectin-type III domains. It is expressed as three major isoforms within the nervous system, on NK cells, and a specific set of T-cells. CD56+ NK and T-cells are unique in their ability to mediate cell-mediated cytotoxicity against certain tumor cell targets without MHC restriction. Other CD56 physiological functions include: mediating cell adhesion, triggering neurite extension and migration, and brain synapse formation.