PCSK9 (Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) is a member of the proteinase K subfamily of the secretory subtilase family. It is first produced as a soluble zymogen that then undergoes an autocatalytic processing within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). PCSK9 functions in cholesterol homeostasis as well as cortical neuron differentiation. Mutations in this gene are associated with a third form of autosomal dominant familial hypercholesterolemia (HCHOLA3). Blesa’s group used the PCSK9 antibody to study the prevalence of PCSK9 mutations in autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia (ADH) within a particular Spanish subpopulation1. There were unable to detect any of the previously described mutations they were looking for within this cohort, but identified a novel mutation responsible for increasing PCSK9 transcription. Dube et al employed the PCSK9 antibody in their gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) investigations into correlations between pre-pregnancy body mass indices (BMI) and cholesterol transport2. A group of Australian researchers developed a sandwich ELISA with the PCSK9 antibody to allow them to assess LDL and total cholesterol levels in diabetic patients treated with the cholesterol-lowering drug fenofibrate3.
Western Blot: PCSK9 Antibody
The PCSK9 antibody was also integrated into ChIP and immunoblot experiments by Diebold’s group, who studied the correlations between NADPH oxidase subunit (NOX4) and hypoxia-induced factor (HIF-1) under both hypoxic and non-hypoxic conditions4. A Swiss group used the PCSK9 antibody to demonstrate that the coordinated regulation of genes implicated in hepatic cholesterol homeostasis (SREBP-1, Niemann-Pick C1 like 1 protein) can complement statin treatment5. Their simultaneous analysis of many genes allowed them to assess the efficacy of therapeutics like rosuvastatin.
Novus Biologicals offers PCSK9 reagents for your research needs including:
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