ATG5, or Autophagy Related 5, is a protein crucial for autophagy. Autophagy is a mechanism in which dysfunctional or pathogenic cells or cellular components are degraded and sometimes recycled. This process happens when ATG5 conjugates with another protein and associates with a cup shaped isolation membrane. This membrane then forms an enclosed structure around the unwanted cellular debris, fuses with a lysosome, and begins degradation of cellular debris through acid hydrolysis. The regulation of ATG5 is imperative for proper immune functions, including immune cell homeostasis, metabolic syndromes and host defense of cellular pathogens. With a protein so important in cell regulation and defense, it comes to no surprise that a problem in ATG5 signaling is associated with a number of immune diseases, and when overexpressed, can cause unwanted programmed cellular death. A defect as small as a single nucleotide polymorphisms in ATG5 have been linked to systemic lupus erythemarosus as well as Crohn’s disease. In recent studies, a down regulation of ATG5 has been linked with certain cancers, particularly colorectal cancer. This has opened the door to investigating ATG5 as a diagnostic or prognostic biomarker.
Immunohistochemistry: ATG5 Antibody
With a protein so critical to the body’s cell regulation and host defense systems, it is important to have a high quality antibody that is both reliable and versatile. Novus Biologicals offers several ATG5 antibodies. Both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies are available for use with a number of host species. In addition to antibodies, recombinant proteins, lysates and RNAi are available with many applications such as ELISA, Western Blots, Immunohistochemistry and more. ATG5 is a high interest protein for many reasons, and high quality antibodies go hand in hand with successful, timely and cost effective research.
