Actin (pan) antibodies

	species	type			applications
9052	rabbit	polyclonal	IgG	human mouse rat cow pig	WB	ICC	IHC

Actin, a highly conserved protein, is a fundamental component of the cytoskeleton in eukaryotic cells, playing a crucial role in maintaining cell shape, supporting cellular motility, and facilitating various intracellular processes. Actin filaments are dynamic structures that can rapidly assemble and disassemble, allowing cells to adapt to changes in their environment. In cell biology, antibodies targeting actin are essential tools for visualizing and studying cytoskeletal dynamics and cellular processes. Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry techniques employing these antibodies enable the observation of actin filaments in cells and tissues, providing insights into cell migration, division, and morphology. Additionally, actin antibodies are commonly used as loading controls in western blot analyses. Since actin is consistently expressed in cells and its levels typically remain stable across experimental conditions, it serves as a suitable reference for normalizing protein content, ensuring accurate comparisons between samples.

Actin isoforms are distinct variants of the actin protein found in eukaryotic cells, and they play crucial roles in various cellular processes. One of the primary differences between actin isoforms lies in their tissue-specific distribution. For instance, skeletal muscle cells predominantly express the α-actin isoform, while smooth muscle cells mainly contain the γ-actin isoform. These tissue-specific distributions are essential for the specialized functions of muscle cells. Moreover, actin isoforms can also differ in their post-translational modifications. For example, γ-actin is more prone to undergo acetylation than α-actin. Additionally, actin isoforms can exhibit variations in their kinetic properties, such as rates of polymerization and depolymerization, which can influence their roles in processes like cell motility or cytoskeletal stability. Furthermore, some actin isoforms may interact with different binding partners or regulatory proteins, further diversifying their functions within the cell. These differences in tissue distribution, post-translational modifications, kinetic properties, and protein interactions contribute to the versatility and specificity of actin isoforms in various cellular processes and underline their importance in maintaining cellular structure and function.