KEGG: ath:AT5G19175
STRING: 3702.AT5G19175.1
Antibody validation is a critical first step in any experimental design. For plant antibodies, the gold standard validation approach involves testing in both wild-type and knockout/mutant lines. Similar to validation performed for other plant antibodies, researchers should:
Perform Western blot analysis with protein extracts from wild-type and mutant/knockout plants
Include peptide competition assays to confirm epitope specificity
Test reactivity against recombinant target protein
Verify target size matches predicted molecular weight
Consider cross-reactivity with closely related proteins
Protein sequencing and immunoblotting can provide definitive confirmation of antibody specificity, as demonstrated in studies with other plant antibodies where target antigens were identified through these methods .
The extraction method significantly impacts antibody detection efficiency. Based on methodological approaches used for other plant proteins:
Buffer Component | Concentration | Purpose |
---|---|---|
Tris-HCl pH 7.5 | 50 mM | Maintains neutral pH |
NaCl | 150 mM | Provides ionic strength |
EDTA | 1 mM | Chelates metal ions |
Triton X-100 | 0.1-1% | Solubilizes membranes |
Protease inhibitors | As recommended | Prevents degradation |
For membrane-associated proteins, consider microsomal fractionation through differential centrifugation, which has proven effective for isolating both membrane-bound and soluble protein fractions in Arabidopsis . This approach would be particularly relevant if At5g19175 has membrane association, as plant proteins often partition between multiple cellular compartments.
Optimal immunoblotting conditions must be empirically determined, but established protocols for plant antibodies provide a starting point:
Protein loading: 3-20 μg total protein per lane (start with 3 μg for abundant proteins)
Initial antibody dilution: 1:1000 to 1:5000 in TBS-T with 5% BSA or non-fat milk
Incubation: Overnight at 4°C with gentle agitation
Washing: 4-6 times with TBS-T (0.1% Tween-20)
Secondary antibody: Anti-rabbit HRP at 1:5000-1:10,000 dilution
Detection: Enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL)
For plant proteins, membrane selection (PVDF vs. nitrocellulose) can significantly impact detection sensitivity. PVDF membranes typically provide better retention of hydrophobic proteins .
Different plant tissues require specific extraction approaches to maximize protein yield and maintain antigen integrity:
Tissue Type | Extraction Modifications | Special Considerations |
---|---|---|
Leaf | Standard extraction buffer | Add PVP to remove phenolics |
Root | Increase detergent (0.5-1%) | Additional washing to remove soil contaminants |
Flower | Gentle homogenization | High proteolytic activity requires extra inhibitors |
Seed | Higher buffer:tissue ratio | Hard tissues need more mechanical disruption |
Stem | Add cellulase/hemicellulase | Fibrous tissues benefit from enzymatic treatment |
Tissue-specific optimization is critical, as demonstrated in immunodetection studies of plant proteins where extraction conditions significantly impacted antibody binding efficiency .
Proper storage is essential for antibody longevity:
Long-term storage: Aliquot and store at -80°C to prevent freeze-thaw cycles
Working solution: Store at 4°C for up to 2 weeks with 0.02% sodium azide
Stabilizers: Consider adding BSA (1 mg/ml) to prevent adsorption to surfaces
Avoid contamination: Use sterile techniques when handling
Monitor activity: Periodically test antibody performance with positive controls
Documentation of storage conditions and freeze-thaw cycles should be maintained to track potential performance degradation over time.
For investigating protein interactions, multiple complementary approaches can be employed:
Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP):
Lyse tissues in non-denaturing buffer with 0.5-1% NP-40 or Triton X-100
Pre-clear lysate with Protein A/G beads
Incubate with At5g19175 antibody (2-5 μg per mg of total protein)
Capture complexes with Protein A/G beads
Analyze precipitated proteins by mass spectrometry or immunoblotting
In vivo interaction validation:
Perform Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation (BiFC) in protoplasts
Use At5g19175 antibody to confirm expression levels
Visualize interactions at subcellular resolution
Studies with other plant proteins have successfully utilized these approaches to document protein interactions, such as the MAPKKK5-PBL27 complex formation at the plasma membrane in Arabidopsis protoplasts .
When facing inconsistent results, systematic troubleshooting is essential:
Antibody validation assessment:
Sequence the immunoprecipitated protein to confirm identity
Test multiple antibody lots if available
Validate with alternative detection methods
Experimental variables analysis:
Document protein extraction efficiency across methods
Evaluate post-translational modifications affecting epitope recognition
Consider tissue-specific expression patterns
Assess protein stability under different conditions
Biological context evaluation:
Determine if protein levels change with growth conditions or developmental stage
Test if pathogen exposure or immune signaling affects protein abundance
Examine if protein localization changes under different conditions
Conflicting results often stem from biological variables rather than technical issues, as seen in studies where protein interactions were condition-dependent .
For precise localization studies, consider:
Subcellular fractionation:
Separate microsomal and soluble fractions through differential centrifugation
Further fractionate microsomes on density gradients
Analyze fractions by immunoblotting with At5g19175 antibody
Include organelle-specific markers for validation
Immunofluorescence microscopy:
Fix tissues with 4% paraformaldehyde
Permeabilize with 0.1-0.5% Triton X-100
Block with 3-5% BSA or normal serum
Incubate with At5g19175 antibody (1:100-1:500)
Detect with fluorophore-conjugated secondary antibody
Co-stain with organelle markers
This combined approach was effectively used to demonstrate the dual localization of MAPKKK5 to both plasma membrane and cytosolic compartments in plant cells .
To investigate protein dynamics during immune responses:
Treatment protocol:
Treat seedlings with immune elicitors (e.g., 10 μM chitin oligomers)
Collect tissues at multiple time points (0, 5, 15, 30, 60 minutes)
Extract proteins under native conditions
Analyze by immunoblotting with At5g19175 antibody
Protein complex dynamics:
Perform co-immunoprecipitation before and after elicitor treatment
Assess changes in interaction partners
Evaluate post-translational modifications (phosphorylation, ubiquitination)
Localization changes:
Monitor protein redistribution following immune activation
Document association/dissociation with membrane compartments
Studies with plant immune components have revealed dynamic changes in protein complexes after elicitor treatment, with some interactions being disrupted specifically after chitin but not flagellin detection .
To correlate transcript and protein levels:
Parallel analysis protocol:
Extract RNA and protein from the same tissue samples
Perform RT-qPCR for transcript quantification
Use At5g19175 antibody for protein quantification by immunoblotting
Normalize protein levels to appropriate housekeeping controls
Discrepancy investigation:
Assess protein stability through cycloheximide chase experiments
Investigate post-transcriptional regulation mechanisms
Consider proteasomal degradation (test with MG132 treatment)
Studies have shown that protein levels of some plant components are regulated through proteasome-dependent mechanisms, with proteasome inhibitor MG132 treatment resulting in increased protein accumulation .
For effective immunoprecipitation:
Step | Condition | Notes |
---|---|---|
Tissue amount | 1-2 g fresh weight | Scale buffer accordingly |
Extraction buffer | 50 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.5, 150 mM NaCl, 0.5% NP-40, 1 mM EDTA | Add protease/phosphatase inhibitors fresh |
Pre-clearing | 1 hour with Protein A/G beads | Reduces non-specific binding |
Antibody amount | 2-5 μg | Optimize empirically |
Incubation | Overnight at 4°C with rotation | Critical for complex formation |
Washing | 4 × 1 ml buffer with decreasing detergent | Balances specificity vs. sensitivity |
Elution | SDS sample buffer or low pH glycine | Choose based on downstream application |
For plant proteins, gentle lysis conditions are critical for maintaining complex integrity, as demonstrated in studies of immune signaling complexes .
For immunohistochemical detection:
Tissue preparation:
Fix tissue in 4% paraformaldehyde for 2-4 hours
Dehydrate and embed in paraffin or resin
Section at 5-10 μm thickness
Antigen retrieval:
Citrate buffer (pH 6.0) heat treatment
Enzymatic digestion with proteinase K (1-10 μg/ml)
Immunostaining:
Block with 5% normal serum and 0.3% Triton X-100
Primary antibody: 1:100-1:500 dilution, overnight at 4°C
Secondary antibody: 1:200-1:500, 1-2 hours at room temperature
Counterstain with DAPI for nuclear visualization
Controls:
Omit primary antibody (negative control)
Use tissue from knockout plants (specificity control)
This approach allows visualization of protein distribution across different cell types, similar to the differential staining observed with other antibodies in distinct tissue regions .
For quantitative protein analysis:
Quantitative immunoblotting:
Include a standard curve of recombinant protein
Load equal amounts of total protein (validate with total protein stain)
Use digital imaging for densitometry
Analyze with appropriate software (ImageJ/FIJI)
ELISA protocol:
Coat plates with capture antibody (1-10 μg/ml)
Block with 3-5% BSA
Apply samples and standards in duplicate
Detect with HRP-conjugated secondary antibody
Develop with TMB substrate
Read absorbance at 450 nm
Protein normalization strategies:
Total protein normalization (REVERT or Ponceau staining)
Housekeeping proteins as loading controls
Spiked-in internal standards
Careful quantification is essential for detecting subtle changes in protein abundance, as seen in studies examining plant immune responses .
Multi-modal detection enhances experimental rigor:
Antibody-fluorescent protein fusion complementation:
Validate GFP-tagged protein localization with antibody staining
Confirm fusion protein function through complementation assays
Use antibody for quantification of expression levels
Antibody-mass spectrometry integration:
Immunoprecipitate with At5g19175 antibody
Identify post-translational modifications by mass spectrometry
Validate specific modifications with modification-specific antibodies
Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) applications:
If At5g19175 has DNA-binding properties, perform ChIP
Optimize crosslinking conditions (1-3% formaldehyde, 10-20 minutes)
Sonicate to generate 200-500 bp fragments
Immunoprecipitate with At5g19175 antibody
Analyze by qPCR or sequencing
Combining methodologies provides stronger evidence for biological findings, as demonstrated in studies that used both biochemical fractionation and microscopy to determine protein localization .
When encountering experimental issues:
Problem | Potential Cause | Solution |
---|---|---|
No signal | Low protein abundance | Increase sample concentration, use enrichment strategies |
Epitope masking | Try alternative extraction methods, consider antigen retrieval | |
Antibody degradation | Test new antibody aliquot, verify storage conditions | |
Multiple bands | Post-translational modifications | Validate with phosphatase/glycosidase treatment |
Protein degradation | Add appropriate protease inhibitors, reduce extraction time | |
Cross-reactivity | Perform peptide competition, use knockout controls | |
High background | Insufficient blocking | Increase blocking time/concentration, try alternative blockers |
Antibody concentration too high | Titrate antibody to optimal concentration | |
Non-specific binding | Pre-adsorb antibody, increase wash stringency |
Systematic troubleshooting is essential for antibody-based experiments. Document all optimization steps to ensure reproducibility across experiments .
When extending antibody use to other species:
Sequence comparison approach:
Align epitope sequence across species using BLAST
Calculate percent identity and similarity
Focus on species with >70% epitope conservation
Empirical testing protocol:
Perform immunoblotting with protein extracts from multiple species
Start with higher antibody concentration (1:500)
Include Arabidopsis extract as positive control
Document cross-reactivity pattern
Specificity confirmation:
Perform peptide competition assays
Test antibody on mutant/silenced plants when available
Many plant antibodies show cross-reactivity across species, as seen with the Anti-Lhcb2 antibody that reacts with proteins from multiple plant species including Arabidopsis, barley, and maize .
When adapting protocols for crop species:
Extraction buffer modifications:
Increase buffer:tissue ratio for starchy tissues
Add PVP or PVPP (1-2%) to remove phenolics and tannins
Consider specific interfering compounds for each species
Background reduction strategies:
Pre-adsorb antibody against plant extract lacking target protein
Optimize blocking conditions (try species-specific serums)
Increase wash stringency to reduce non-specific binding
Signal optimization:
Consider signal amplification systems for low abundance targets
Test alternative secondary antibodies
Optimize incubation times and temperatures
Methodological adaptations are essential when transferring antibody applications across species, particularly when moving from model plants to crops with more complex tissue composition .
To investigate stress-induced protein changes:
Stress treatment design:
Apply controlled stress conditions (drought, salt, temperature)
Include appropriate time course (0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 hours)
Prepare parallel samples for transcript and protein analysis
Protein dynamics assessment:
Monitor total protein levels by immunoblotting
Examine subcellular redistribution through fractionation
Assess complex formation changes via co-immunoprecipitation
Post-translational modifications:
Use phospho-specific antibodies if available
Perform λ-phosphatase treatment to confirm phosphorylation
Consider mobility shift assays to detect modifications
Environmental stresses often trigger rapid protein modifications and redistribution, similar to the dynamic changes observed during immune responses in plants .
If At5g19175 has DNA-binding properties:
Chromatin immunoprecipitation protocol:
Crosslink tissue with 1% formaldehyde (10 minutes at room temperature)
Quench with 0.125 M glycine
Extract and shear chromatin to 200-500 bp fragments
Immunoprecipitate with At5g19175 antibody
Reverse crosslinks and purify DNA
Analyze by qPCR or sequencing
In vitro DNA binding analysis:
Express recombinant protein
Perform electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA)
Verify specificity with At5g19175 antibody supershift
Identify binding motifs through systematic analysis
These approaches have been successfully employed to study DNA-binding properties of plant transcription factors and regulatory proteins involved in stress and immune responses .