EPHA8 Antibody, FITC conjugated

Definition and Biological Context

EPHA8 (UniProt: P29322) is a receptor tyrosine kinase involved in developmental neural patterning and cancer progression . The FITC-conjugated antibody targets specific epitopes on this receptor, allowing visualization and quantification in experimental settings.

Cancer Biology

• Breast Cancer (BC): EphA8 overexpression correlates with tumor size, TNM stage, and poor prognosis . The FITC-conjugated antibody enables tracking EphA8 expression in BC cell lines (e.g., MCF-7), where knockdown reduces proliferation and enhances paclitaxel sensitivity .

• Mechanistic Insights: EphA8 inhibits apoptosis via PI3K/AKT signaling, as shown by reduced p-AKT and Bcl-2 levels upon EphA8 silencing . FITC labeling facilitates quantification of these changes in fluorescence-based assays.

Developmental Studies

EPHA8 guides axonal navigation during neurodevelopment . The antibody’s FITC conjugation allows precise localization in neural tissue sections or cultured neurons.

Western Blot

• Detects EphA8 at ~110 kDa in human and mouse lysates .

• Specificity confirmed by knockdown experiments showing reduced signal intensity .

Functional Assays

• Migration/Invasion: EphA8 knockdown decreases BC cell motility in Matrigel assays . FITC-conjugated antibody validates EphA8 suppression prior to functional testing.

• Chemosensitivity: Combined EphA8 silencing and paclitaxel treatment enhances tumor regression in xenograft models .

Comparative Performance

Research Implications

This reagent is critical for:

1. Profiling EphA8 in cancer biopsies using fluorescence microscopy.

2. High-throughput screening of EphA8 inhibitors in drug discovery.

3. Investigating EphA8’s role in neural repair or metastatic pathways.

Limitations

• Cross-Reactivity: Potential reactivity with other Eph receptors due to structural homology .

• Photobleaching: FITC signal degrades under prolonged light exposure .