PGL3 Antibody

Role in C. elegans Germ Granules

• PGL-3 undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation to form P granules, driven by mRNA interactions .

  • Critical concentration: 0.5–10 μM for droplet formation

  • RNA dependence: mRNA (not rRNA) promotes assembly via RGG domains

• Autophagy clears PGL-3 during DNA damage-induced apoptosis :

  • UV irradiation triggers CEP-1/p53-dependent PGL-3 degradation

  • Mutant studies show 64% reduction in apoptosis when autophagy/PGL-3 pathways are disrupted

Antibody Cross-Reactivity

The KT3 antibody, widely used for PGL-3 detection, exhibits:

• Dual specificity: Binds both PGL-1 and PGL-3 via shared IDR epitopes

• Validation challenges:

  • Requires knockout controls (pgl-1/pgl-3 mutants) for specificity confirmation

  • False positives observed in muscle tissue independent of PGL-3

Technical Considerations

• Plasmid interference: The pGL3 luciferase vector contains a cryptic dioxin response element that may confound transcriptional studies .

• Species specificity: Most commercial antibodies target human SDHC, while C. elegans studies use species-specific reagents .

Emerging Insights

Recent advances (2024) highlight:

• PGL-3's role in maintaining germline immortality through phase-separated compartments

• Therapeutic potential in cancer research via SDHC-related metabolic pathways