The At2g34850 Antibody is a polyclonal antibody designed to bind specifically to the protein product of the At2g34850 locus in Arabidopsis thaliana. This gene is annotated as encoding a protein of unknown function, though its expression patterns and sequence homology suggest potential roles in plant development or stress responses .
Gene ID: At2g34850
Molecular Weight: ~25 kDa (predicted)
Domains: Contains a conserved DUF647 (Domain of Unknown Function 647), common in plant-specific proteins .
The At2g34850 Antibody is primarily used to:
Investigate tissue-specific expression patterns of the At2g34850 protein in Arabidopsis.
Study protein localization via immunofluorescence or GFP fusion techniques.
Validate knockout or overexpression lines in genetic studies .
The At2g34850 protein’s DUF647 domain is conserved across plant species, suggesting roles in:
Stress Signaling: Homologs in Oryza sativa (rice) are induced under abiotic stress.
Developmental Regulation: Expression peaks during floral transition in Arabidopsis transcriptome datasets .
Functional Data Gap: The biological role of At2g34850 remains uncharacterized.
Opportunities: CRISPR-Cas9 knockout lines paired with this antibody could elucidate its function in plant physiology.
At2g34850 is an Arabidopsis thaliana gene identifier within the Arabidopsis Genome Initiative (AGI) nomenclature system. Similar to other plant genes with "At" prefixes (such as At4g30440, At1g02000, and others), it follows the format where the first digit represents the chromosome number, the letter indicates the genome, and subsequent numbers denote its position on that chromosome . The At2g34850 gene encodes a protein involved in plant cellular functions. When working with antibodies against this protein, researchers should understand that, like other plant proteins, it may contain sequence motifs that affect antibody recognition, similar to how GAE proteins contain GxxGxxG motifs that bind NAD(P)+ cofactors .
For validating At2g34850 antibody specificity, a multi-method approach is essential:
Western Blot Validation: Run protein samples alongside molecular weight markers to confirm the antibody detects a band at the expected molecular weight (typically 47-51 kD for many plant proteins) .
Knockout/Knockdown Controls: Include negative controls from knockout or knockdown plants lacking At2g34850 expression.
Immunoblotting with Tag-Specific Antibodies: If using recombinant At2g34850 with epitope tags (such as myc or polyhistidine), perform parallel detection with tag-specific antibodies as demonstrated with GAE1 protein detection .
Preabsorption Test: Pre-incubate the antibody with purified antigen before immunodetection to verify signal reduction.
The protein extraction protocol significantly impacts antibody detection efficiency:
Extraction Component | Recommended Condition | Purpose |
---|---|---|
Buffer System | 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5 | Maintains protein stability |
Detergent | 0.1-1% Triton X-100 | Membrane protein solubilization |
Protease Inhibitors | Complete cocktail | Prevents degradation |
Reducing Agent | 5 mM DTT or 2-ME | Maintains reduced state |
Salt Concentration | 150 mM NaCl | Reduces non-specific interactions |
When extracting At2g34850 protein, cellular fractionation may be necessary as the protein's localization affects extraction efficiency, similar to procedures used for other plant proteins .
Inconsistent Western blot results with At2g34850 antibody can be systematically addressed:
SDS-PAGE Optimization: If protein bands are not readily visible in standard SDS-PAGE, employ immunoblotting with specific antibodies, as done with GAE1 protein detection .
Transfer Efficiency: For proteins around 47-51 kD (typical of many plant proteins like GAE family members), use semi-dry transfer at 15V for 30 minutes or wet transfer at 30V overnight at 4°C .
Blocking Optimization: Test different blocking solutions (5% non-fat milk vs. BSA) to reduce background.
Antibody Concentration Titration: Perform a dilution series (1:500 to 1:5000) to identify optimal signal-to-noise ratio.
Enhanced Chemiluminescence Selection: Compare standard vs. high-sensitivity detection reagents based on protein abundance.
If bands appear at unexpected molecular weights, this may indicate post-translational modifications or alternative splicing variants.
Cross-reactivity concerns should be systematically evaluated:
Sequence Homology Analysis: Analyze sequence conservation of At2g34850 across species. Similar to GAE family proteins that have homologs in virtually all angiosperms and gymnosperms , At2g34850 may have conserved regions across plant species.
Epitope Conservation Check: Determine if the epitope region recognized by the antibody is conserved in target species.
Pre-validation Testing: Test antibody reactivity against protein extracts from different species before main experiments.
Specificity Controls: Include positive controls (Arabidopsis extract) alongside samples from other species to compare band patterns and intensities.
Cross-reactivity may be advantageous for comparative studies but problematic for species-specific analyses.
For successful immunoprecipitation with At2g34850 antibody:
Antibody Coupling: Covalently couple purified antibody to protein A/G beads or magnetic beads to prevent antibody contamination in eluates.
Extraction Buffer Optimization: Use gentler detergents (0.5% NP-40 or 1% Triton X-100) to preserve protein-protein interactions.
Pre-clearing Step: Pre-clear lysates with beads alone to reduce non-specific binding.
Controls Implementation:
IgG control precipitation
Input sample (10% of starting material)
Unbound fraction analysis
Elution Strategy Selection: Choose between denaturing (SDS buffer) or native (competing peptide) elution based on downstream applications.
For optimal immunolocalization results:
Fixation Method Selection: Different fixation methods affect epitope accessibility:
Paraformaldehyde (4%) preserves structure but may mask epitopes
Methanol increases permeability but can denature some epitopes
Acetone fixation may be optimal for certain plant cell structures
Antigen Retrieval Requirements: Heat-induced or enzyme-based antigen retrieval may be necessary if fixation obscures the epitope.
Blocking Optimization: Test different blocking agents (BSA, normal serum, commercial blockers) to reduce background fluorescence in plant tissues.
Signal Amplification Options: For low-abundance proteins, consider:
Tyramide signal amplification
Secondary antibody layering
Quantum dot conjugation
Co-localization Controls: Include markers for relevant subcellular compartments to confirm localization patterns.
For robust quantitative analysis:
Loading Control Selection: Choose appropriate loading controls based on experimental context:
Housekeeping proteins (actin, tubulin, GAPDH)
Total protein staining (Ponceau S, Coomassie)
Subcellular fraction markers if relevant
Densitometry Best Practices:
Use linear range of detection (validate with dilution series)
Subtract local background for each lane
Normalize to loading controls
Statistical Analysis Approach:
For multiple conditions: ANOVA with appropriate post-hoc tests
For paired comparisons: t-test or non-parametric alternatives
Report biological and technical replicates separately
Fold-Change Calculation: Calculate relative expression as ratio to control condition after normalization.
Recent advances in generative AI offer promising approaches for antibody optimization:
De Novo Design: Generative deep learning models can design antibodies against specific targets in a zero-shot fashion without prior demonstration of binders .
Structural Prediction: AI models can predict antibody-antigen interactions to optimize binding to At2g34850 protein, similar to approaches used for designing antibodies against therapeutic targets .
Binding Affinity Prediction: Models trained on experimental binding data can predict binding affinities for novel antibody designs, potentially reducing extensive wet-lab screening .
Developability Assessment: The Naturalness metric can evaluate whether designed antibodies possess favorable immunogenicity characteristics and developability profiles .
Screening Prioritization: AI models can compute calibrated likelihoods that correlate with binding success, helping researchers prioritize candidate antibodies for experimental validation .
Non-specific binding can be methodically addressed through:
Antibody Dilution Optimization: Test serial dilutions to find optimal concentration that maintains specific signal while reducing background.
Blocking Protocol Refinement:
Increase blocking time (2-4 hours or overnight)
Test alternative blocking agents (casein, commercial blockers)
Add 0.1-0.5% Tween-20 to washing and antibody incubation buffers
Pre-adsorption Strategy: Pre-incubate antibody with related but non-target proteins to remove cross-reactive antibodies.
Stringency Adjustment: Increase salt concentration (150-500 mM NaCl) in washing buffers to disrupt low-affinity non-specific interactions.
Secondary Antibody Alternatives: Test different secondary antibodies if current one contributes to background.
Understanding pharmacokinetic principles enhances experimental design:
Antibody Clearance Consideration: For in vivo applications, account for linear clearance rates (similar to the 35.0 mL/hr observed in monoclonal antibody studies) .
Volume Distribution Analysis: Consider that antibodies typically have limited tissue distribution with central volumes of approximately 1.8L and peripheral volumes of about 5L in mammalian systems .
Bioavailability Assessment: Subcutaneous administration of antibodies typically results in approximately 24% bioavailability compared to intravenous administration .
Mathematical Modeling Application: Two-compartment quasi-steady-state target-mediated drug disposition models can be adapted to understand antibody kinetics in plant systems .
Exposure-Response Relationships: Establish quantitative relationships between antibody exposure and biological responses, similar to IgE response correlations with cumulative antibody AUC .
Creating research-grade biosimilar antibodies requires:
Sequence Analysis: Identify the variable region sequences critical for antigen recognition, similar to how therapeutic antibody biosimilars maintain the same variable region sequence .
Epitope Mapping: Characterize the specific epitope recognized by reference antibodies to ensure consistent target binding.
Functional Equivalence Testing: Validate that the biosimilar antibody performs equivalently in all intended research applications.
Batch-to-Batch Consistency: Implement quality control measures to ensure reproducible performance across production batches.
Non-Therapeutic Designation: Clearly mark research antibodies as "for research use only" to distinguish them from therapeutic applications .
Post-translational modifications significantly impact antibody-antigen interactions:
Phosphorylation Effects: Phosphorylation may alter epitope conformation or accessibility, requiring phospho-specific antibodies for modified protein detection.
Glycosylation Considerations: Plant proteins often undergo complex glycosylation that can mask epitopes or create steric hindrance for antibody binding.
Protocol Adaptation: Sample preparation may require phosphatase or glycosidase treatment to standardize modification states for consistent detection.
Modification-Specific Antibodies: For studying specific modified forms, consider antibodies raised against the modified epitope.
Molecular Weight Shift Analysis: Post-translational modifications often cause detectable shifts in apparent molecular weight on SDS-PAGE, similar to how GAE proteins show specific molecular weights around 50 kD .