New FOXP3Δ2 (Exon 2 Deleted) Specific Antibody

By

Stephen Jones

Posted Date: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 | Viewed: 256
Posted In Category: Health & Fitness » Cancer Articles
Article Directory | Cancer RSS Feed Cancer RSS Feed | Email to Friend | Report Article

FOXP3 is a master regulator of immune homeostasis expressed specifically in CD4+ CD25+ T regulatory cells controlling their growth, development and function. FOXP3 significance in the normal development of Tregs is better elucidated with the fact that mutated FOXP3 results in a rare and fatal early onset autoimmune disorder in humans called XLAAD/IPEX (human immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked syndrome), a condition phenotypically similar to Scurfy in mice.

FOXP3 is primarily an oligomeric, transcriptional repressor protein that belongs to the P subfamily of forkhead (FKH)-winged helix family of transcriptional factors. Members of this subfamily are forkhead (FKH) box proteins characterized by the presence of a highly conserved C-terminal winged-helix/FKH DNA binding domain (DBD) and centrally-located C2H2 zinc finger domain and leucine zipper domain. Apart from these, an additional N-terminal proline rich region is present in FOXP3, whose function is yet to be understood. Studies have shown that FOXP3 is a nuclear-localized protein that specifically trans-represses NF-AT-induced expression of cytokines and other transcriptional factors in Tregs including IL-2, IL-4, IFN-gamma and NF-κB.

However, FOXP3 is not the sole master switch regulating the origin and development of CD4+ CD25+ Tregs. Studies have confirmed the existence of splice variant forms FOXP3 that are specifically expressed in humans but are lacking in mouse. Cloning and RT-PCR analysis from mRNA of CD4+ CD25+ T regulatory cells (Allan et. al, Smith et. al) has shown that these cells express two different alternatively spliced variant forms of FOXP3. While the FOXP3Δ2 variant had a deleted 105bp exon2 region, there was another FOXP3Δ2, Δ7 variant that had an additional 81bp exon7 deletion apart from exon2 deletion. The predicted molecular weight of this FOXP3Δ2 is ~4KDa lower than the molecular weight of FOXP3. Transient transfection assays using Jurkat cells suggest that the FOXP3Δ2 is novel splice variant that functions as a transcriptional repressor protein and acts in cohort with FOXP3 causing a significant suppression of cytokines and up-regulating the expression of various Treg-associated markers.

The existence of the splice variant forms of FOXP3 protein suggests an additional level of complexity related to the biology of FOXP3. A lot research needs to be done so as to elucidate the physiological and functional importance of FOXP3 splice variant forms towards maintaining immune homeostasis in Tregs and preventing autoimmune disorders.

Continuing its efforts towards supporting research on FOXP3, IMGENEX has come up with an antibody that specifically recognizes the FOXP3Δ2 splice variant.




Article Tags: foxp3, regulatory t-cells, tregs

About Author:
IMGENEX India Pvt Ltd. the only biotech company in Orissa and one of its kinds in Eastern India. IMGENEX India started in Oct as an outsourcing branch of IMGENEX Corporation, San Diego, USA. Find out more information about FOXP3.

Related Articles, Information, Products And Links

Comments on New FOXP3Δ2 (Exon 2 Deleted) Specific Antibody:


Post A Comment on New FOXP3Δ2 (Exon 2 Deleted) Specific Antibody
  • No Comment Posted Yet...

Related Articles on Cancer

  1. Bone density test
  2. Gastric Cancer
  3. 10 Options in Treating Mesothelioma
  4. Akt Family: Antibodies from Imgenex
  5. Apoptosis Programmed Cell Death
  6. Are we "Livin" or just "Survivin"?
  7. ATM (Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated) Antibodies from Imgenex
  8. QuikChIP Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Kits
  9. Epigenetic and Signal Transduction Reagents
  10. Faces of DARPP-32: Master Signaling Mediator in the Brain?
  11. GPR83: A Novel Treg Expressed Cell Surface Marker
  12. GPR83: A Novel Treg Expressed Cell Surface Marker
  13. Colorectal Cancer Screening
  14. Anti-cancer drug fights cardiovascular disease
  15. Common Std Diseases And Cure
  16. Diagnose Breast Cancer
  17. How To Beat Cigarettes With Psychology
  18. Liver Cancer Treatment, Causes And Symptoms
  19. Pancreatic Cancer Treatment
  20. Cancer - Causes Of Cancer And Therapies

Latest Articles on Cancer

  1. Cancer - Causes Of Cancer And Therapies
    Prostate Cancer Kills. According to the American Cancer Association over 192,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer each year. Over 27,000 men will die from this form of cancer each year. Cancer of the prostate is the second most deadly cancer for men, second only to lung cancer....
  2. Pancreatic Cancer Treatment
    Pancreatic cancer is typically diagnosed after the above symptoms are either detected by the patient or the supervising doctor. After the indicators are evaluated, liver function tests and tests for CA19-9 - a marker for pancreatic cancer - are often performed. The first step in beating pancreatic cancer is empowering yourself with knowledge of how cancer works, pondering the critical thinking...
  3. Liver Cancer Treatment, Causes And Symptoms
    Liver cancer also known as primary or metastasis hepatic carcinoma is a fairly rare form of cancer in the western world (1% of all cancers) but much more common in Africa and parts of Asia (10% to 50% of all cancers). It is much more prevalent in men and incidence increases with age....
  4. How To Beat Cigarettes With Psychology
    Many experts believe smoking is only about 10% physical addiction and 90% psychological. Your body will recover fairly quickly from nicotine withdrawals with the worst symptoms usually subsiding in about three days or less. But your psychological dependency on cigarettes can be much more difficult to overcome....
  5. Diagnose Breast Cancer
    Breast Cancer - Prevention And Cure Breast cancer, the growth of malignant cells in the breast, is the most common cancer among women. It is rare but does occur in men breast cancer usually originates in the milk carrying ducts, although it may arise in the milk producing lobules or, more rarely, in the dense connective...
  6. Common Std Diseases And Cure
    We all know the importance of becoming aware of extensive ranges of sexually transmitted diseases. I have prepared a guideline of such diseases that will help everyone in getting the right cure and prevention.Sexually transmitted diseases or STD is infectious disease; it can ....
  7. Anti-cancer drug fights cardiovascular disease
    An experimental anti-cancer drug can prevent -- and even reverse -- potentially fatal cardiovascular damage in a mouse model of progeria, a rare genetic disorder that causes the most dramatic form of human premature ageing, National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers reported today. In a study published in the Oct. 6 early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences...
  8. Colorectal Cancer Screening
    Colorectal Cancer Screening Methods Comparison - There are five main screening methods for colorectal cancer. Digital Rectal Exam,Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT), Colonoscopy, Sigmoidoscopy, Double-contrast Barium Enema (DCBE). It serves as an excellent initial screening due to its safe, simple and inexpensive nature. ...
  9. GPR83: A Novel Treg Expressed Cell Surface Marker
    GPR83 is a member of the Orphan-A G-Protein coupled receptor family, and has anunknown ligand. It has been previously reported in various regions of the brain, within a subset of T-lymphocytes, and by RT-PCR at low levels in heart, kidney, liver, and otherorgans. For more details read out the article:...
  10. New FOXP3Δ2 (Exon 2 Deleted) Specific Antibody
    FOXP3 is a master regulator of immune homeostasis expressed specifically in CD4+ CD25+ T regulatory cells controlling their growth, development and function and generally accepted to be expressed in both mouse and human CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells. For more details read out the article:...

Related topics in Health & Fitness



Other Categories