Clathrin heavy chain (CHC), encoded by the CLTC gene, is a critical component of clathrin-coated vesicles involved in intracellular trafficking and autophagy. Anti-CHC antibodies are essential tools for studying these processes.
Target: CHC (CLTC gene product; 1675 amino acids, 191.6 kDa).
Applications: Western blot (primary), ELISA, immunohistochemistry .
Localization: Membrane, cytoplasmic vesicles, and cytoplasm .
A recent catalog lists 55 anti-CHC antibody products from 11 suppliers, validated for specificity and performance in diverse assays .
Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Monoclonal antibodies targeting HCV core antigen (HCVcAg) are critical for diagnostic assays.
Four murine monoclonal antibodies (1C, 2C, 4C, 8C) were developed with the following properties :
| Antibody | Genotype Cross-Reactivity | Binding Affinity (SPR) | Competing Antibodies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1C | Gt1a, Gt1b, Gt2a, Gt3a, Gt4a | Moderate | 2C, 4C, C7-50 |
| 2C | Gt1a, Gt1b, Gt2a, Gt3a, Gt4a | Strongest | 1C, 4C, C7-50 |
| 4C | Gt1a, Gt1b, Gt2a, Gt3a, Gt4a | Moderate | 1C, 2C, C7-50 |
| 8C | Gt1a, Gt1b, Gt4a | Weak | C7-50 |
2C Antibody: Exhibited the strongest binding (SPR ) and broadest cross-reactivity, making it ideal for diagnostic assays .
Applications: Dual-antibody sandwich ELISA (DAS-ELISA) for HCVcAg detection in clinical samples.
CHC antibodies enable study of clathrin-mediated endocytosis and autophagy. Isoform-specific antibodies are critical for differentiating CHC17 and CHC22 variants .
Antibodies like 2C outperform commercial alternatives (e.g., C7-50) in stability and affinity due to sequential immunization with multi-genotype HCVcAg .
Clinical Impact: Early detection of HCVcAg in CHC patients reduces progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma .
While not directly related to CHC2, advances in antibody engineering provide context for future developments:
Bispecific Antibodies: Techniques like controlled Fab-arm exchange (cFAE) enhance therapeutic efficacy (e.g., bsIgG2a-2F8x7D8 in oncology) .
Fc Engineering: Mutations in CH2/CH3 domains (e.g., T370K, F405L) improve pharmacokinetics and reduce immunogenicity .
| Supplier | Products Listed | Key Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier A | 12 | WB, IHC, ELISA |
| Supplier B | 8 | WB, Flow Cytometry |
| Supplier C | 10 | WB, Immunofluorescence |
| Parameter | 1C | 2C | 4C | 8C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IC₅₀ (nM) | 15.2 | 8.9 | 14.7 | 22.3 |
| Genotype Coverage | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
The CHC-2 antibody is a rabbit monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes the BAD (BCL2-Associated Agonist of Cell Death) protein. This antibody has been purified using affinity chromatography and is formulated in phosphate buffered saline (pH 7.4) with 150mM NaCl, 0.02% sodium azide, 50% glycerol, and 0.4-0.5mg/ml BSA . BAD is a pro-apoptotic protein that functions as a regulator of programmed cell death, making this antibody valuable for studying apoptotic pathways in research settings.
The CHC-2 antibody has been validated for reactivity with human, mouse, and rat species . Cross-reactivity with other species may be possible but would require validation by individual researchers. When selecting antibodies for experimental use, confirming species reactivity is essential as improper species matching can lead to experiment failure and wasted resources.
The CHC-2 antibody has been validated for multiple applications including:
Western Blot (WB) at dilutions of 1:1000-1:2000
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) at dilutions of 1:50-1:200
Immunocytochemistry/Immunofluorescence (ICC/IF) at dilutions of 1:50-1:200
Immunoprecipitation (IP) at a dilution of 1:30
Each application requires specific optimization for your experimental system.
When designing controls for CHC-2 antibody experiments:
Positive Controls:
Cell lines known to express BAD protein (check literature for expression levels)
Tissue samples with confirmed BAD expression
Recombinant BAD protein for Western blot applications
Negative Controls:
For IHC/ICC: Omit primary antibody but include all other reagents
BAD-knockout cell lines (if available)
Isotype controls for flow cytometry applications
Pre-absorption with immunizing peptide (if available)
Control design is critical for validating results and distinguishing specific from non-specific binding.
The monoclonal CHC-2 antibody offers higher specificity but potentially lower sensitivity compared to polyclonal alternatives . Choose the monoclonal CHC-2 antibody when:
Experimental goals require consistent lot-to-lot reproducibility
You need to minimize background/non-specific binding
The target epitope is well-exposed in your experimental conditions
You're performing co-localization studies requiring precise epitope targeting
Polyclonal antibodies may provide higher sensitivity but at the cost of potentially increased background . The choice between monoclonal and polyclonal should be guided by your specific experimental requirements and the nature of your target protein's presentation in your samples.
For optimal Western blot results with CHC-2 antibody:
Sample Preparation:
Use RIPA or other appropriate lysis buffer with protease inhibitors
Load 20-50 μg of total protein per lane
Include appropriate positive controls
Running Conditions:
Use 10-12% SDS-PAGE gels for optimal separation
Transfer to PVDF or nitrocellulose membrane
Antibody Application:
Block with 5% non-fat milk or BSA in TBST for 1 hour at room temperature
Incubate with CHC-2 primary antibody at 1:1000-1:2000 dilution overnight at 4°C
Wash thoroughly with TBST (3-5 times for 5 minutes each)
Incubate with appropriate anti-rabbit secondary antibody
Include a loading control antibody (such as anti-GAPDH or anti-β-actin)
Detection:
Use chemiluminescent substrate appropriate for your detection system
Optimize exposure time to prevent signal saturation
For optimal IHC results with CHC-2 antibody:
Tissue Preparation:
Fix tissues appropriately (10% neutral buffered formalin is standard)
Use antigen retrieval methods (heat-induced epitope retrieval in citrate buffer pH 6.0 or EDTA buffer pH 9.0)
Test multiple antigen retrieval conditions if initial results are suboptimal
Antibody Optimization:
Detection System:
Use appropriate HRP-conjugated secondary antibody
Consider signal amplification systems for low-abundance targets
Use DAB or other chromogen suitable for your experimental design
Controls:
Include positive and negative controls in each experimental run
Consider tissue microarrays for antibody validation across multiple samples
BAD protein function is heavily regulated by post-translational modifications, particularly phosphorylation. To investigate these modifications:
Experimental Design:
Use phosphatase inhibitors in your sample preparation
Consider using phospho-specific antibodies alongside CHC-2
Design experiments to capture dynamic phosphorylation states
Technical Approaches:
For Western blotting: Use Phos-tag gels to separate phosphorylated from non-phosphorylated forms
For IP: Perform CHC-2 immunoprecipitation followed by phospho-specific Western blotting
Consider mass spectrometry analysis of immunoprecipitated samples to identify novel modifications
Data Analysis:
Compare band migration patterns with and without phosphatase treatment
Quantify relative levels of modified vs. unmodified protein
Correlate modifications with functional outcomes in your experimental system
For multiplex studies involving CHC-2 antibody:
Panel Design:
Select additional antibodies raised in different host species to avoid cross-reactivity
Ensure spectral separation between fluorophores
Consider antibody order when using sequential staining protocols
Optimization Steps:
Data Collection and Analysis:
Use appropriate imaging controls (single-stained samples, no primary controls)
Employ spectral unmixing if fluorophore spectra overlap
Perform quantitative co-localization analysis using appropriate software
When CHC-2 antibody performs well in one application (e.g., Western blot) but fails in others (e.g., IHC or IF), consider these potential issues:
| Application | Common Failure Reasons | Recommended Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Western Blot | Protein degradation | Add fresh protease inhibitors |
| Insufficient transfer | Optimize transfer conditions | |
| Incorrect dilution | Titrate antibody concentrations | |
| IHC/ICC | Inadequate fixation | Test multiple fixation protocols |
| Ineffective antigen retrieval | Try different retrieval methods | |
| Epitope masking | Consider alternative antibody clones | |
| Flow Cytometry | Cell permeabilization issues | Optimize permeabilization buffers |
| Surface vs. intracellular epitopes | Adjust staining protocol accordingly | |
| IP | Epitope inaccessibility | Use antibodies recognizing different epitopes |
| Buffer incompatibility | Test different IP buffers |
The conformation of the BAD protein may differ between applications - CHC-2 may recognize a linear epitope (good for WB) but struggle with native conformations (needed for IP or IF) .
To thoroughly validate CHC-2 antibody specificity:
Genetic Approaches:
Use BAD-knockout or knockdown systems as negative controls
Perform rescue experiments with BAD overexpression
Compare staining patterns with multiple antibodies targeting different BAD epitopes
Biochemical Validation:
Perform peptide competition assays
Confirm expected molecular weight in Western blot
Verify subcellular localization is consistent with known BAD biology
Reproducibility Assessment:
Test antibody across multiple lots if possible
Compare results across different experimental conditions
Validate key findings with orthogonal methods not relying on antibodies
Proximity Ligation Assay (PLA) optimization for CHC-2 antibody:
Experimental Design:
Pair CHC-2 with antibodies against known BAD interaction partners (e.g., 14-3-3 proteins, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL)
Use antibodies raised in different host species
Include appropriate controls (single antibody controls, known non-interacting proteins)
Protocol Optimization:
Test multiple fixation and permeabilization conditions
Use CHC-2 at 1:50-1:100 dilution for optimal signal
Adjust incubation times and temperatures for maximum sensitivity
Analysis Considerations:
Quantify PLA signals per cell
Compare signal distribution with known BAD localization patterns
Correlate PLA results with functional outcomes (e.g., apoptosis measurements)
For quantitative analysis using CHC-2 antibody:
Western Blot Quantification:
Use standard curves with recombinant BAD protein
Normalize to appropriate loading controls
Employ digital imaging with linear dynamic range
Use analytical software for densitometry
Flow Cytometry Quantification:
Use fluorescence quantitation beads for standardization
Report results as molecules of equivalent soluble fluorochrome (MESF)
Include appropriate isotype controls
Consider median fluorescence intensity rather than mean
Image-Based Quantification:
Apply consistent thresholding algorithms
Use nuclear counterstains for cell identification
Measure intensity, area, and subcellular distribution parameters
Consider machine learning approaches for complex pattern recognition
This comprehensive analysis ensures reliable quantification of BAD expression across experimental conditions.