The At3g57160 gene encodes a cysteine-rich and transmembrane domain-containing protein belonging to the CYSTM1 (Cysteine-rich and TransMembrane domain) family. Key features include:
Functional Role: Implicated in stress response pathways, particularly under abiotic stress conditions .
Structural Motifs: Contains a conserved cysteine-rich domain and a transmembrane module, suggesting roles in redox regulation or signal transduction .
The antibody is validated for detecting endogenous At3g57160 protein in:
Western Blot: Identifies bands corresponding to the predicted molecular weight (~20 kDa) .
ELISA: Quantifies protein expression levels in Arabidopsis tissue extracts .
Studies utilizing this antibody have explored:
Stress Tolerance Mechanisms: CYSTM1 proteins are hypothesized to mitigate oxidative or heavy metal stress in plants .
Subcellular Trafficking: Localization assays confirm membrane association, consistent with its transmembrane domain .
Production: Custom-made upon request, with a lead time of 14–16 weeks .
Formats: Available in liquid form (non-conjugated) at concentrations tailored to experimental needs .
Quality Control: Purity ≥85% (verified by SDS-PAGE); specificity confirmed via knockout validation .
KEGG: ath:AT3G57160
UniGene: At.34863
At3g57160 encodes a CYSTM1 family protein B in Arabidopsis thaliana (Mouse-ear cress), also referred to as a "cysteine-rich TM module stress tolerance protein" or "Cysteine-rich and transmembrane domain-containing protein B At3g57160 F24I3" . This protein belongs to a conserved family involved in stress response mechanisms, making it a valuable target for researchers studying plant adaptation to environmental stressors. The protein's transmembrane nature suggests roles in signaling pathways or membrane-associated stress responses, though complete functional characterization requires ongoing investigation through antibody-based methodologies and complementary approaches.
The primary commercial option is a rabbit polyclonal antibody against At3g57160 from Arabidopsis thaliana . This antibody is produced through antigen-affinity purification methods and demonstrates reactivity specifically with Arabidopsis thaliana samples. The polyclonal nature provides recognition of multiple epitopes on the target protein, potentially increasing detection sensitivity across various experimental conditions. Researchers should note that while polyclonal antibodies offer advantages in detection sensitivity, they may exhibit batch-to-batch variation requiring consistent validation protocols.
At3g57160 antibodies have been validated for ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) and Western Blot (WB) applications . These techniques enable detection and quantification of the target protein in plant tissue extracts and cellular fractions. The antibody's specificity makes it suitable for analyzing At3g57160 expression patterns under various experimental conditions, particularly in stress response studies. Researchers may need to optimize conditions when extending use to other applications like immunohistochemistry or immunoprecipitation that aren't explicitly validated in manufacturer specifications.
Successful Western blot analysis with At3g57160 antibodies requires careful optimization of several parameters:
| Parameter | Recommended Conditions | Optimization Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sample preparation | Plant tissue extraction with RIPA or NP-40 buffer | Include protease inhibitors; maintain cold temperature |
| Protein loading | 20-50 μg total protein | May need adjustment based on expression level |
| Blocking solution | 5% non-fat dry milk in TBST | BSA (3-5%) alternative for phospho-studies |
| Primary antibody dilution | 1:1000 to 1:2000 | Optimize through titration experiments |
| Incubation conditions | Overnight at 4°C | Alternative: 2 hours at room temperature |
| Detection system | HRP-conjugated anti-rabbit IgG | ECL substrate for standard detection |
Always include positive controls (wild-type Arabidopsis samples) and negative controls (knockout lines if available) to validate antibody specificity . The expected molecular weight of the detected protein should be approximately 30-35 kDa, though post-translational modifications may alter migration patterns.
For immunoprecipitation of At3g57160 protein complexes:
Cell lysis: Extract proteins from 0.5-1g plant tissue using a mild lysis buffer (25mM Tris-HCl pH 7.5, 150mM NaCl, 1% NP-40, 5% glycerol) supplemented with protease inhibitors.
Pre-clearing: Incubate lysate with Protein A/G beads for 1 hour at 4°C to remove non-specific binding proteins.
Immunoprecipitation: Add 2-5μg of At3g57160 antibody to 500μg of pre-cleared lysate and incubate overnight at 4°C with gentle rotation.
Complex capture: Add 30-50μl Protein A/G beads and incubate for 2-4 hours at 4°C.
Washing: Perform 4-5 washes with decreasing salt concentration buffers to remove non-specific interactions while preserving specific complexes.
Elution: Use gentle elution with low pH glycine buffer (0.1M, pH 2.5) followed by immediate neutralization, or directly add SDS sample buffer for subsequent Western blot analysis.
Include appropriate controls (isotype-matched IgG or pre-immune serum) to distinguish specific from non-specific interactions .
While not explicitly validated for immunofluorescence, researchers can adapt protocols for At3g57160 detection in plant tissues:
Fixation: Use 4% paraformaldehyde in PBS for 20-30 minutes, considering the plant cell wall barrier.
Cell wall digestion: Apply a mixture of cellulase (1.5%) and macerozyme (0.2%) to create protoplasts or tissue sections for better antibody penetration.
Permeabilization: Use 0.1-0.3% Triton X-100 in PBS for 10-15 minutes to facilitate antibody access to intracellular compartments.
Blocking: Block with 2-3% BSA or normal goat serum in PBS for 60 minutes at room temperature.
Primary antibody: Apply At3g57160 antibody at 1:100 to 1:250 dilution and incubate overnight at 4°C.
Secondary antibody: Use fluorophore-conjugated anti-rabbit IgG (1:500) for 1-2 hours at room temperature.
Counterstaining: Apply DAPI (1μg/ml) for nuclear visualization and assess subcellular localization.
Include controls for autofluorescence, which is common in plant tissues, and validate specificity with appropriate knockout or knockdown plant lines .
At3g57160 antibodies can reveal functional protein networks through several approaches:
Co-immunoprecipitation: Use the antibody to pull down At3g57160 along with interacting partners, followed by mass spectrometry analysis to identify novel interactions. This approach has successfully identified protein complexes in stress response pathways.
Proximity ligation assay (PLA): Combine At3g57160 antibodies with antibodies against suspected interacting proteins to visualize interactions in situ, providing spatial context to interaction events.
Immunoblotting after crosslinking: Apply membrane-permeable crosslinkers before immunoprecipitation to capture transient interactions that might be missed in standard Co-IP approaches.
Sequential immunoprecipitation: Perform tandem purifications to isolate specific subcomplexes containing At3g57160, reducing background and increasing confidence in identified interactions.
Competitive binding assays: Use recombinant At3g57160 protein domains to compete with full-length protein interactions, helping map interaction domains.
These approaches can reveal how At3g57160 participates in stress response signaling networks by identifying both constitutive and stress-induced protein interactions .
To determine the precise subcellular distribution of At3g57160:
Subcellular fractionation: Separate cellular components (membrane, cytosol, nucleus) and analyze At3g57160 distribution using the antibody in Western blot analysis.
Immunogold electron microscopy: Achieve high-resolution localization by using gold-conjugated secondary antibodies against At3g57160 primaries for transmission electron microscopy.
Confocal microscopy with organelle markers: Co-stain with markers for various cellular compartments (plasma membrane, ER, Golgi, vacuole) to determine precise localization.
Super-resolution microscopy: Apply techniques like STORM or PALM for nanoscale resolution of At3g57160 distribution within membrane microdomains.
Live cell imaging validation: Correlate antibody-based localization with fluorescent protein fusions to confirm patterns and rule out fixation artifacts.
Given At3g57160's annotation as a transmembrane protein, particular attention should be paid to membrane compartments and potential redistribution under stress conditions .
The "cysteine-rich TM module stress tolerance protein" annotation suggests important roles in stress adaptation, which can be investigated through:
Expression profiling: Use Western blot analysis with At3g57160 antibodies to quantify protein expression changes under various stress conditions (drought, salinity, temperature extremes, oxidative stress, pathogen exposure).
Phosphorylation status: Combine immunoprecipitation with At3g57160 antibodies and phospho-specific detection methods to assess stress-induced post-translational modifications.
Membrane complex dynamics: Analyze detergent-resistant membrane microdomains before and after stress treatment to determine if At3g57160 relocates to specialized membrane regions during stress response.
Protein stability assessment: Perform cycloheximide chase experiments coupled with immunodetection to determine if protein turnover rates change during stress adaptation.
Cross-species conservation: Test antibody cross-reactivity with homologous proteins in related species to assess functional conservation of stress response mechanisms.
These approaches can reveal how At3g57160 contributes to stress adaptation mechanisms at the molecular level, potentially identifying targets for improving crop stress tolerance .
Researchers commonly encounter these issues when working with At3g57160 antibodies:
| Issue | Possible Causes | Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| High background in Western blots | Insufficient blocking, excessive antibody concentration | Increase blocking time/reagent concentration; dilute antibody further (1:2000-1:5000); extend wash steps |
| Weak or no signal | Low protein expression, epitope masking, sample degradation | Increase protein loading; try alternative extraction methods; add protease inhibitors; test different antigen retrieval approaches |
| Multiple bands | Cross-reactivity, protein degradation, post-translational modifications | Validate with knockout controls; include protease inhibitors; test with phosphatase treatment; perform peptide competition assays |
| Poor immunoprecipitation efficiency | Epitope inaccessibility, weak antibody-antigen interaction | Optimize lysis conditions; increase antibody amount; extend incubation time; try alternative precipitation approaches |
| Inconsistent results between experiments | Batch-to-batch antibody variation, sample preparation differences | Characterize each new antibody lot; standardize sample collection and processing; include internal controls in each experiment |
For At3g57160 specifically, the transmembrane nature of the protein may require specialized extraction conditions using appropriate detergents to maintain protein integrity while ensuring solubilization .
Thorough validation ensures experimental reproducibility and accurate interpretations:
Genetic validation:
Compare signal in wild-type versus At3g57160 knockout/knockdown plants
Test antibody reactivity in plants overexpressing At3g57160
Examine cross-reactivity with closely related CYSTM family proteins
Biochemical validation:
Perform peptide competition assays using the immunizing antigen
Pre-absorb antibody with recombinant At3g57160 protein
Compare recognition patterns with antibodies targeting different epitopes
Application-specific validation:
For Western blot: Verify expected molecular weight and band pattern
For immunoprecipitation: Confirm pulled-down protein by mass spectrometry
For immunolocalization: Compare with fluorescent protein fusion localization patterns
Cross-species reactivity assessment:
Test antibody against homologs in related Brassicaceae species
Compare recognition patterns with sequence conservation data
Technical validation parameters:
Establish detection limits (minimum protein amount detectable)
Determine linear range for quantitative applications
Document reproducibility across technical and biological replicates
Each validation step should be documented to establish confidence in experimental outcomes .
While At3g57160 has been primarily characterized as a stress tolerance protein, investigating its potential role in immunity could reveal important functional insights:
Pathogen challenge studies: Use At3g57160 antibodies to track protein expression, modification, and localization changes following pathogen exposure or immune elicitor treatment.
Guard cell signaling: Investigate At3g57160's potential involvement in stomatal immunity by examining protein dynamics during pathogen-triggered stomatal closure.
Pattern recognition receptor complexes: Assess whether At3g57160 associates with known immune receptor complexes through co-immunoprecipitation under basal and induced conditions.
Hormone signaling integration: Determine if At3g57160 protein levels or modifications respond to immune-related hormones like salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, or ethylene.
Comparative analysis across pathosystems: Evaluate At3g57160 responses across different pathogen types (bacteria, fungi, oomycetes) to identify pathogen-specific patterns.
This research direction could establish connections between abiotic stress tolerance and immunity pathways, an emerging area of interest in plant adaptation mechanisms .
When faced with conflicting results across experimental approaches:
Systematic validation hierarchy:
Establish primary validation using genetic tools (knockout/knockdown lines)
Compare antibody performance across multiple lots and sources
Determine if epitope accessibility varies between applications
Assess technical limitations of each method (sensitivity, specificity)
Technical reconciliation strategies:
Evaluate whether protein conformation affects epitope recognition in different methods
Determine if sample preparation impacts protein detection (native vs. denatured conditions)
Consider artifacts from fixation or extraction protocols
Examine whether post-translational modifications alter recognition in context-dependent ways
Biological interpretation considerations:
Assess if apparent contradictions reflect true biological complexity
Consider tissue-specific or developmental differences in protein expression or modification
Evaluate temporal dynamics that might explain discrepancies
Integrated analysis approaches:
Combine multiple detection methods within the same experimental design
Develop quantitative frameworks to compare results across techniques
Implement orthogonal validation using non-antibody methods
This systematic approach helps distinguish technical artifacts from genuine biological complexity .
For researchers requiring specialized At3g57160 antibodies beyond commercial options:
Strategic epitope selection:
Analyze protein structure to identify accessible, unique regions
Target conserved domains for broad recognition or variable regions for specificity
Consider functional domains for antibodies that can modify protein activity
Avoid regions with high similarity to other CYSTM family proteins
Optimization of immunization protocols:
Select appropriate host species based on phylogenetic distance from Arabidopsis
Design immunization schedules with multiple boosting steps
Consider different antigen formats (synthetic peptides, recombinant protein fragments)
Evaluate adjuvant systems - alum has proven effective for subcutaneous immunizations
Enhanced screening and selection:
Implement multi-parameter screening assays specific to intended applications
Select antibodies based on affinity, specificity, and performance characteristics
Evaluate epitope accessibility under relevant experimental conditions
Advanced antibody engineering:
Generate recombinant antibody fragments for improved tissue penetration
Create fusion proteins with detection tags for multiplexed analysis
Develop single-chain variable fragments for specialized applications
This approach enables generation of tailored research tools for specific experimental needs .
At3g57160 antibodies can enable integrative analyses of stress response networks:
Temporal proteomics: Track At3g57160 protein dynamics over stress response time courses, correlating protein levels with transcriptional and metabolomic changes.
Multi-stress integration: Compare At3g57160 responses across different stress conditions to identify common and stress-specific regulatory mechanisms.
Spatiotemporal mapping: Combine tissue-specific analysis with subcellular localization to create comprehensive maps of At3g57160 distribution and dynamics.
Interactome mapping: Use antibody-based affinity purification coupled with mass spectrometry to construct stress-responsive interaction networks.
Computational model validation: Test predictions from systems biology models by experimentally validating At3g57160 behavior under specific perturbations.
These approaches position At3g57160 within broader molecular networks, potentially revealing key regulatory nodes that integrate multiple stress response pathways .
Emerging technologies could address current limitations in At3g57160 detection:
Single-molecule detection methods: Apply techniques like single-molecule pull-down for detecting low-abundance At3g57160 complexes with enhanced sensitivity.
Proximity-dependent labeling approaches: Implement BioID or APEX2 fusion systems to identify proteins in close proximity to At3g57160 without requiring stable interactions.
Antibody fragment technologies: Develop single-domain antibodies (nanobodies) against At3g57160 for improved access to sterically restricted epitopes.
Microfluidic immunoassays: Apply lab-on-chip approaches for rapid, sensitive At3g57160 detection using minimal sample volumes.
Multiplexed detection systems: Develop antibody panels targeting At3g57160 alongside interacting partners for simultaneous detection of entire complexes.
These methodological advances could reveal previously undetectable aspects of At3g57160 biology, particularly in challenging experimental contexts like stress response dynamics .
Combining antibody-based protein studies with epigenetic analyses creates opportunities for multi-level investigation:
Chromatin association studies: If At3g57160 has any nuclear functions, ChIP-seq approaches using specific antibodies could reveal genomic targets.
Epitranscriptomic connections: Investigate potential links between At3g57160 and RNA modification machinery through co-immunoprecipitation studies.
Transgenerational stress memory: Examine At3g57160 protein dynamics in plants with epigenetic stress memory compared to naïve plants.
Correlation with chromatin states: Compare At3g57160 expression patterns with histone modification landscapes during stress responses.
Epigenetic modifier interactions: Assess potential physical or functional interactions between At3g57160 and known epigenetic regulatory proteins.
This integrated approach could reveal how post-transcriptional and translational regulation of At3g57160 connects with epigenetic adaptation mechanisms in stress responses .