Antibody News

BAFF belongs to the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family, and its downstream signaling plays a critical role in B-cell survival and maturation. BAFF overproduction is associated with a variety of autoimmune diseases. BAFF is the functional ligand for three receptors:
BAFF-R, transmembrane activator and calcium modulator (TACI), and B-cell maturation Ag (BCMA). Varzaneh et al extensively review the contributions of a huge array of interleukins (ILs), interferons, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa), APRIL, and BAFF in common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) disease1. Their study maps in detail the profiles of various cytokines as well as outlines their therapeutic potential. Another recent autoimmune review from Lanteri‘s group examined the role of serum free light chains of immunoglobulins (sFLC) in systemic sclerosis (SSc)2.  Using a...

VEGF is homodimeric, disulfide-linked glycoprotein cytokine that serves as the ligand for FLT1 (VEGFR-1 receptor) and FLK1 (VEGFR-2 receptor) tyrosine kinases. It is a key modulator of physiological angiogenesis, vasculogenesis, and endothelial cell growth during basic developmental processes such as embryogenesis, skeletal growth, and reproductive functions. The VEGF ligand/receptor signaling system stimulates endothelial cell proliferation, blood vessel permeabilization, cell migration, and inhibition of apoptosis. There exist several widely expressed isoforms (VEGF189, VEGF165 and VEGF121) as well as some that are not as commonly found (VEGF206 and VEGF145). The basic VEGF189 isoform is cell-associated after secretion and is bound avidly by heparin and the extracellular matrix (ECM).

What is Ly6G?

Ly6G (Lymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus G6D) is a 21-25kD glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-linked differentiation antigen that is expressed by myeloid-derived cells in a tightly developmentally-regulated manner in the bone marrow. Monocytes express Ly6G transiently during bone marrow development, while Ly6G expression in granulocytes and peripheral neutrophils directly correlates with the cell’s level of differentiation and maturation. This hallmark makes Ly6G a good marker for these particular cell populations. Ly6G has also been implicated in the development of antitumor responses. 

Immunohistochemistry-Paraffin: Ly-6G/Ly-6C Antibody (RB6-8C5) [...

Beta-catenin is a cytosolic, 88 kDa intracellular protein associated with cell surface cadherin glycoproteins. It is a member of the larger calcium-dependent catenin family that includes alpha-catenin, beta-catenin, and gamma-catenin (also known as plakoglobin). Beta-catenin enters the nucleus to interact with TCF/LEF (Lymphoid enhancer factor-1) transcription factor family. It is normally inhibited by the GSK (glycogen synthase kinase) or CK1 (casein kinase 1) as phosphorylation of beta-catenin targets it for ubiquitin-mediated degradation.  The beta-catenin/TCF pathway is involved in T-cell development and differentiation and may be a target for immune and autoimmune disorders.

Factor VII (coagulation factor VII) is a 50 kD multidomain single chain plasma glycoprotein synthesized in the liver. It is a vitamin K-dependent serine protease essential for the extrinsic pathway of hemostasis, or blood coagulation. Factor VII circulates in the blood in a zymogen form that is converted to an active form (via factor IXa, factor Xa, factor XIIa, or thrombin). Rare bleeding disorders (RBDs) are rare within the general community, but present both a diagnostic and effective treatment challenge due to the highly variable range in clinical presentation and cause. Defects in Factor VII cause coagulopathy and hemorrhagic disease, which range in severity from mild tolerable events to acutely severe and repeated hemarthroses and life-threatening intracerebral hemorrhages.

CAS9 is a novel DNA-cutting enzyme that is the main component of an intrinsic DNA editing system used by bacteria to kill attacking viruses. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) are distinct features of most bacterial genomes, and thought to be involved in resistance to bacteriophages. CRISPR is a primitive immune system of sorts that determines resistance specificity, as published by the Danisco Corporation in Science¹. Because of CAS9’s ability to allow for parallel targeted DNA edits has huge implications in a wide range of applications, including gene therapy, agricultural advancements, and energy-producing microbes for biofuels. Deltcheva et al investigated mechanisms of CRISPR RNA maturation and identified a small trans-encoded RNA that appears to direct RNA-mediated immunity².

The Interleukin 2 Receptor alpha and beta chains, along with the common gamma chain, comprise the high affinity IL2 receptor(IL2R) that is present on both mature activated T- and B-cells, as well as early progenitors of T- and B-cells (thymocytes, pre B-cells, and T-regulatory cells). Formation of homodimeric alpha chains (IL2RA) results in a low affinity receptor, while homodimeric beta chains (IL2RB) produce a medium affinity receptor. IL2RA is normally an integral membrane protein, but a soluble IL2 Receptor alpha has been isolated and appears as the result of extracellular proteolysis. IL2RA plays a key role in lymphocyte differentiation, activation, and proliferation.

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The LAG3 protein belongs to the Ig superfamily and contains 4 extracellular Ig-like domains (D1-D4). This molecule plays an key role in the immune response through negative regulation of T-cell proliferation, function, and homeostasis. It is required for maximum natural and induced regulatory T-cell function. LAG3 is closely related to the T-cell co-receptor CD4, and like CD4, binds to MHC class II molecules - but with a significantly higher affinity. It is expressed exclusively in activated T- and natural killer (NK) lymphocytes.

Western Blot: Lymphocyte Activation Gene 3 Antibody

 

Studies with the...

The type I transmembrane glycoprotein EpCAM is a monomeric membrane glycoprotein that is expressed on most epithelial cell membranes as well as on a variety of epithelial carcinomas. It contains an extracellular domain with two epidermal growth factor-like extracellular domain repeats adjacent to a cysteine-poor region, along with a transmembrane domain, and a short cytoplasmic tail. EpCAM is a powerful tool for the detection of circulating and disseminated cancer cells (CTCs/DTCs) in blood and bone marrow, and it is the most commonly used epithelial marker to capture CTCs/DTCs. EpCAM expression appears to be down regulated during the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Aleksic et al performed a western blot with the EpCAM antibody for their studies on the impact of insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) and its nuclear import on downstream function¹. Their data suggests that import may play a key role in identifying...

The products of MHC genes are antigen-presenting molecules (APMs) designed for antigen fragment (peptide) presentation to the T-cell receptor. In particular, MHC Class I molecules play a key role in the immune system by presenting endogenously synthesized peptides derived from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen to CD8+ T-lymphocytes, which are usually cytotoxic T-cells. MHC Class I antigens are heterodimers consisting of one 44kD highly polymorphic alpha chain non-covalently complexed with an invariant 11.5kD beta2-microglobulin subunit. The MHC Class I antigen is expressed on all somatic cells at varying levels – mostly on nucleated cells. Fibroblasts or neurons show only low levels of MHC Class I.

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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 cytokeratins 18 and 8 are the major keratin pair most commonly expressed intermediate filaments in single layer or simple epithelial tissues. CK18 is used as a tumor marker, not only because it is often persistently expressed in tumor cells derived from simple epithelia, but also because keratin expression patterns enable valuable sub-typing of tumors. Studies with the ...

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. Immunohistochemical studies with the podoplanin antibody from Schacht’s lab is a crucial player in directing the processes of cell adhesion, migration, and tube formation for lymphatic vasculature formation¹.