GA20OX4 Antibody

Role of GA20OX4 in Gibberellin Biosynthesis

GA20OX4 is one of five GA20ox isoforms in Arabidopsis thaliana (GA20ox1–GA20ox5) that catalyze key steps in gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis . Specifically, GA20ox enzymes convert GA₁₂ to GA₉ through successive oxidation reactions, a critical pathway for producing bioactive GAs like GA₄ .

• Functional Redundancy: GA20OX4 exhibits full enzymatic activity in vitro but plays a minor role compared to GA20OX1, GA20OX2, and GA20OX3, which dominate developmental processes such as stem elongation, flowering, and fertility .

• Gene Expression: GA20OX4 is expressed at low levels and contributes minimally to GA biosynthesis under standard conditions . Its expression is not strongly regulated by shade or other environmental cues, unlike GA20OX1 and GA20OX2 .

Lack of Direct Evidence for GA20OX4 Antibodies

• Protein Localization: Tracking GA20ox enzymes in tissues.

• Quantification: Measuring enzyme expression levels.

• Functional Studies: Blocking enzymatic activity or identifying protein interactions.

For example, studies on related GA20ox isoforms (e.g., GA20OX1 and GA20OX2) use transgenic plants, promoter-reporter assays, and mutant analysis rather than antibody-based methods .

General Antibody Characteristics in Plant Research

Antibodies used in plant studies typically:

• Target conserved protein domains (e.g., catalytic regions of GA20ox enzymes).

• Are validated via Western blot, immunoprecipitation, or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) .

• Require specificity testing against paralogs (e.g., GA20OX1–GA20OX5) to avoid cross-reactivity .

Key Research Gaps and Recommendations

To address the absence of GA20OX4 antibody data:

1. Database Searches: Consult antibody repositories like CiteAb or Antibodypedia for commercial or custom antibodies.

2. Methodological Context: If generating a GA20OX4 antibody, design antigens from unique peptide sequences (e.g., non-conserved regions of GA20OX4).

3. Functional Validation: Use knockout mutants (e.g., ga20ox4 lines) to confirm antibody specificity .