Protein phosphorylation, the addition of a phosphate group to a protein, is a major way of regulating signal transduction and enzymatic activities in cells. Antibodies that detect these phosphorylated protein sites are called phospho antibodies and can be used in both research and clinical applications. Phosphorylation plays a significant role in many important cell signaling processes, and proteins are phosphorylated by enzymes called kinases and dephosphorylated by enzymes called phosphatases. Many antibody companies offer custom antibody production for rarely studied phosphorylated proteins.
Protein phosphorylation is the addition of a phosphate group (PO4) to a specific protein, usually on a serine, threonine or tyrosine residue. In general, protein phosphorylation is one of the major ways that signal transduction and enzymatic activities are regulated in cells. Antibodies that detect these phosphorylated protein sites are called phospho antibodies. The ability to detect the phosphorylated residue of a protein at a specific site is a valuable tool for detecting the activity of cell signaling pathways and is a key to understanding many cell signaling processes.
The addition of the phosphate group to a serine, threonine, or tyrosine residue can result in the activation or inactivation of the protein by inducing a conformational change in the protein or by affecting the protein’s interactions with other proteins or molecules. Phosphorylation plays a significant role in many important cell signaling processes, including cell growth and death, pathways that induce or inhibit tumourigenesis, hormone signaling processes, and energy production. Proteins are phosphorylated by enzymes called kinases and dephosphorylated by enzymes called phosphatases. The reversible phosphorylation process therefore allows a cell to exert tight control over these important signaling pathways.
Antibodies are Y-shaped molecules that contain antigen binding sites at the end of each Y arm. Generally, antibodies recognize unique sequences in their corresponding antigens, which are called epitopes. Antibody production occurs naturally as part of the immune response when a host is exposed to a foreign body, allowing the antibody to specifically recognize and neutralize these foreign antigens. This natural process can be used for research purposes by generating antibodies that will specifically detect an antigen or protein of interest. When generating research antibodies, the host species are often rabbits, mice, sheep, or goats, but researchers can also use cultured immune cells to generate antibodies against the antigen of interest.
Phosphorus antibodies can be used in both research and clinical applications. In a clinical setting, the detection of a particular phosphorylated protein by a phosphorylated antibody in a tumor sample can help assess tumor grade or even predict disease outcome. In research settings, phospho antibodies are often used to study the activation of cell signaling pathways in response to a specific stimulus.
Many antibody companies are available to supply phosphate antibodies to researchers and physicians. Researchers can select these antibodies from a catalog of antibodies, which often contains reagents for hundreds of different phosphorylated proteins. Additionally, several antibody suppliers offer custom antibody production for rarely studied phosphorylated proteins for which a commercial phosphorylated antibody is not available.
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