ACADVL (also known as VLCAD) is a critical enzyme that catalyzes the first step of mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation, an aerobic process that breaks down fatty acids into acetyl-CoA to enable energy production from fats. This enzyme specifically removes hydrogen from C-2 and C-3 positions of straight-chain fatty acyl-CoA thioesters, creating trans-2-enoyl-CoA products . ACADVL is distinctive among acyl-CoA dehydrogenases for its specificity toward acyl-CoAs with saturated 12 to 24 carbon long primary chains . This enzyme's function is crucial to understanding mitochondrial metabolism disorders, particularly in tissues with high energy demands such as cardiac and skeletal muscle.
When selecting an ACADVL antibody, researchers should consider:
Antibody type and specificity: Choose between monoclonal (e.g., rabbit recombinant monoclonal EPR15107(B) or mouse monoclonal H-7 ) and polyclonal options (e.g., rabbit polyclonal 14527-1-AP ) based on experimental needs. Monoclonals offer higher specificity while polyclonals provide broader epitope recognition.
Validated applications: Ensure the antibody has been validated for your intended application:
Species reactivity: Confirm reactivity with your experimental model (human, mouse, rat) .
Validation data: Review knockout validation data where available. For example, ab188872 has demonstrated specificity through testing with ACADVL knockout HEK293T cell lines .
For Western blotting with ACADVL antibodies:
Sample preparation: Use fresh tissue lysates from liver, muscle, or heart, or cell lines like HEK293T, HeLa, or HepG2 .
Protein loading: Load 20μg of total protein per lane for optimal signal detection .
Recommended dilutions:
Expected molecular weight: 70 kDa (predicted), with observed bands typically between 66-73 kDa .
Controls: Include positive controls (e.g., liver tissue) and negative controls (ACADVL knockout cell lysates where available) .
Secondary antibody options: For dual detection systems, use appropriate secondary antibodies such as:
For optimal IHC results with ACADVL antibodies:
Antigen retrieval: Perform heat-mediated antigen retrieval using:
Antibody dilution: Use 1:100-1:500 dilution depending on the specific antibody .
Detection systems:
Tissue selection: ACADVL shows strong expression in metabolically active tissues:
Controls: Include tissues known to express ACADVL (liver, heart) and consider negative controls using isotype control antibodies.
For co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) studies with ACADVL antibodies:
Antibody selection: Choose antibodies specifically validated for IP applications, such as ab188872 (used at 1:50 dilution for immunoprecipitation) or polyclonal antibody 14527-1-AP (validated for CoIP) .
Cell/tissue preparation:
Immunoprecipitation protocol:
Incubate antibody with lysate (typically 1-5 μg antibody per mg of total protein)
Capture complexes using Protein A/G beads
Wash extensively to remove non-specific interactions
Elute and analyze by Western blot using antibodies against potential interaction partners
Controls: Include:
IgG control (same species as the primary antibody)
Input sample (pre-immunoprecipitation lysate)
Reverse Co-IP validation where possible
Validation strategies for ACADVL antibodies include:
Knockout validation:
Genetic models:
Peptide competition assays:
Pre-incubate the antibody with the immunizing peptide
Loss of signal confirms specificity for the target epitope
Multiple antibody validation:
Use antibodies from different sources recognizing different epitopes
Consistent results across different antibodies provide confidence in specificity
Multiple detection methods:
Confirm findings using both IHC and WB techniques
Correlate with mRNA expression data where possible
ACADVL antibodies are invaluable tools for studying VLCAD deficiency:
Protein expression analysis:
Quantify ACADVL protein levels in patient samples versus controls
Assess expression in different tissues to understand disease pathophysiology
Variant characterization:
Diagnostic research:
Therapeutic development:
Monitor protein expression changes in response to experimental therapies
Evaluate restoration of enzyme function in treatment models
Model systems:
Validate animal and cellular models of VLCAD deficiency
Study tissue-specific effects of ACADVL mutations
For flow cytometry applications with ACADVL antibodies:
Cell preparation:
Antibody dilution:
Controls:
Secondary antibody selection:
Gating strategy:
Include mitochondrial markers for co-localization studies
Use appropriate controls to set gates for positive and negative populations
While antibody-based detection provides insights into protein expression and localization, ddPCR offers complementary genomic information:
Copy number analysis:
Integration with antibody studies:
Protocol considerations:
When integrating ACADVL antibody-based studies into multi-omics approaches:
Proteomics integration:
Use antibodies for immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometry to identify interaction partners
Compare protein expression levels from antibody-based techniques with shotgun proteomics data
Genomics correlation:
Transcriptomics relationship:
Compare protein levels detected by antibodies with mRNA expression levels
Investigate post-transcriptional regulation mechanisms when discrepancies are observed
Metabolomics connections:
Correlate ACADVL protein levels with metabolite profiles, particularly long-chain fatty acids and acylcarnitines
Investigate how protein expression variations impact metabolic pathways
Tissue-specific considerations:
Account for tissue-specific expression patterns when designing multi-omics studies
Select appropriate antibody dilutions based on expected expression levels in different tissues