ELK3 Antibody

Biological Context of ELK3

ELK3 (ETS transcription factor ELK3) regulates gene expression by acting as a transcriptional repressor or activator, depending on cellular context and signaling pathways like MAPK/ERK1/2 . It is overexpressed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), breast cancer, and other malignancies, where it promotes:

• Cell proliferation: Knockdown of ELK3 in PDAC cells (PANC-1, MIA PaCa-2) reduced colony formation and EdU incorporation .

• Metastasis: ELK3 enhances migration and invasion in PDAC by activating β-catenin signaling . In breast cancer, ELK3 in lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) secretes exosomal miRNAs that promote tumor cell invasion and metastasis .

• Angiogenesis: ELK3 mutant mice exhibit impaired wound healing and abnormal lymphatic vessel development .

Experimental Applications and Protocols

ELK3 antibodies are used in diverse research workflows:

Western Blotting

• Recommended dilution: 1:500–1:3,000 .

• Sample types: Whole cell lysates (e.g., NT2D1, IMR32 cells) .

Immunohistochemistry (IHC)

• Paraffin-embedded tissues: Staining of breast cancer and tonsil tissues at 1:100–1:1,000 dilution .

• PDAC studies: ELK3 overexpression in tumor tissues correlates with poor survival .

Immunofluorescence (IF)

• Protocol: HeLa cells fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde, stained with ELK3 antibody (1:500) and Hoechst 33342 .

Research Findings Enabled by ELK3 Antibodies

• Pancreatic Cancer:

  • ELK3 knockdown reduced PDAC cell proliferation by 40–60% (in vitro) and suppressed tumor growth in vivo .

  • ZEB1 transcriptionally upregulates ELK3, forming a pro-metastatic axis .

• Breast Cancer:

  • ELK3 in LECs secretes exosomal miR-200b-3p and miR-296-5p, enhancing MDA-MB-231 cell invasion via ERK1/2 and STAT3 pathways .

  • siRNA-mediated ELK3 silencing in LECs reduced lung and lymph node metastasis in xenograft models .