PDIA3 (UniProt ID P30101) is a 505-amino acid protein containing four thioredoxin-like domains (a, b, b′, a′) with catalytic Cys-Gly-His-Cys motifs in the a/a′ domains . It interacts with calnexin/calreticulin to facilitate glycoprotein folding and participates in MHC class I antigen presentation .
Oxidoreductase activity: Catalyzes disulfide bond formation/isomerization
Immune modulation: Part of the MHC class I peptide-loading complex
Cellular signaling: Regulates mTORC1 activation under oxidative stress
Cancer progression: Correlates with tumor aggressiveness and therapy resistance
PDIA3 overexpression correlates with poor clinical outcomes:
Immune evasion: PDIA3 knockdown enhances T-cell antitumor activity in glioblastoma .
Therapeutic targeting: PDIA3 inhibition reduces colony formation in glioma (↓45%, P<0.05) .
Biomarker potential: Correlates with macrophage M2 infiltration (r=−0.142, P=0.013) and MSI/TMB in multiple cancers .
PDIA3 antibodies enable:
Diagnostic applications: Quantifying PDIA3 levels in tumor biopsies
Therapeutic development: Screening PDIA3-targeted inhibitors (e.g., via CMap analysis)
Immunotherapy prediction: Stratifying patients for anti-PD1/PD-L1 therapies
PDIA3 (Protein Disulfide Isomerase Family A Member 3), also known as ERp57, GRP58, or ER-60, is a pleiotropic member of the protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) family. It is predominantly located in the endoplasmic reticulum but has been detected in other cellular compartments, including the cell surface membrane .
PDIA3 antibodies are crucial research tools because:
They enable detection of PDIA3 upregulation during stress conditions
They allow investigation of PDIA3's translocation to cell surfaces during metabolic stress
They are used to study PDIA3's involvement in various pathological conditions including liver inflammation, cancer progression, and muscle regeneration
Key functions of PDIA3 identified through antibody-based research:
Chaperone activity for protein folding
Cell surface signaling during stress responses
Involvement in myoblast differentiation and fusion
PDIA3 antibodies are versatile tools employed across multiple experimental applications:
When selecting applications, researchers should note that PDIA3 detection may require different optimization approaches depending on subcellular localization (intracellular vs. surface expression) .
Validation is essential to ensure specificity and sensitivity of PDIA3 antibodies:
Specificity confirmation methods:
Application-specific validation:
Remember that antibody validation should be performed for each specific application and experimental condition, as antibody performance can vary significantly across different contexts .
Sample preparation significantly impacts PDIA3 antibody detection success:
For Western blotting:
Extract proteins using buffers containing protease inhibitors to prevent degradation
Use reducing conditions (DTT or β-mercaptoethanol) for most applications
Recommended loading: 10-20 μg total protein per lane
Optimal protein transfer using 0.2 μm PVDF membranes for better retention of proteins
For immunofluorescence/immunohistochemistry:
Fixation method matters: Paraformaldehyde (4%) preserves epitope accessibility
For surface PDIA3 detection: Use live cell staining without permeabilization
For intracellular PDIA3: Standard fixation and permeabilization protocols are effective
For studying secreted PDIA3:
Collect conditioned media after 48h culture
Remove cell debris by centrifugation (400 rcf, 5 min)
Filter through 0.22 μm sterile filter
PDIA3 has emerged as a potential bridge between immunogenic cell death (ICD) and autoimmunity, particularly in liver diseases. Research methodologies using PDIA3 antibodies include:
For studying PDIA3 as an autoantigen:
ELISA-based detection of anti-PDIA3 autoantibodies in patient sera
Isotype profiling of anti-PDIA3 antibodies (IgM vs. IgG3) to assess maturation of autoimmune responses
Peptide epitope mapping using synthetic PDIA3 peptides to identify immunodominant regions
Experimental models for PDIA3 autoimmunity:
High-fat high-fructose (HFHF) diet mouse models show PDIA3 surface expression on stressed hepatocytes
Passive transfer experiments with purified anti-PDIA3 antibodies to assess pathogenicity
T cell transfer studies with PDIA3-specific T cells to evaluate cellular immunity contributions
Research has shown that PDIA3-specific antibodies contribute to hepatotoxicity in metabolically stressed livers but not in healthy controls, suggesting a "second hit" requirement for pathogenicity . Detection of these autoantibodies in patients with autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis, and type 2 diabetes indicates potential clinical relevance .
PDIA3 translocation to the cell surface during stress is a critical research area with methodological considerations:
Methods for detecting surface PDIA3:
Cell surface biotinylation followed by streptavidin pulldown and PDIA3 immunoblotting
Flow cytometry with non-permeabilized cells using anti-PDIA3 antibodies
Co-staining with membrane markers (e.g., MG53) to confirm surface localization
Quantification approaches:
Cell Surface Protein Isolation Kit followed by Western blotting to measure relative surface expression levels
ELISA of culture supernatants to detect secreted PDIA3 during differentiation or stress
Research has demonstrated that PDIA3 surface expression increases during:
This translocation makes PDIA3 accessible for antibody binding, which can be leveraged for both research and potential therapeutic applications .
Recent investigations have revealed promising therapeutic applications for PDIA3 antibodies in cancer treatment:
Cancer-specific mechanisms of action:
The ICT antibody (anti-PDIA3) induces apoptosis in melanoma cells when combined with CPI-613 (a metabolism disruptor) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ)
The mechanism appears dependent on PDIA3 expression at the cell surface membrane, which increases after metabolic stress induction
siRNA-mediated downregulation experiments confirmed that the antibody's effect requires PDIA3 expression
Research findings on cancer specificity:
PDIA3 antibody therapy shows efficacy in both BRAF wild-type and BRAF-mutated melanoma cell lines
The approach may be applicable to other malignancies where PDIA3 is expressed on the cell surface, including T-cell leukemia and breast cancer
Combination therapy (antibody + metabolic disruptors) may overcome resistance mechanisms by targeting stress response pathways
This research direction represents a novel immunotherapeutic approach that selectively targets cancer cells experiencing metabolic stress, potentially offering advantages over conventional therapies .
PDIA3 plays a crucial role in myoblast differentiation through interactions with β3 integrin. Research methodologies to study this include:
Techniques for investigating PDIA3-integrin interactions:
Co-immunoprecipitation assays using anti-PDIA3 antibodies to pull down β3 integrin complexes
Functional blocking studies using both anti-PDIA3 and anti-β3 integrin antibodies to assess pathway dependencies
Vitronectin stimulation (β3 integrin ligand) combined with PDIA3 blocking to examine signaling pathway integration
Signaling pathway analysis:
Western blotting for downstream effectors (p-AKT, p-mTOR, myogenin, MyHC) after antibody treatments
Comparison of membrane-impermeable inhibitors (bacitracin) with antibody-based inhibition to differentiate extracellular vs. intracellular functions
Temporal analysis of PDIA3 secretion during myoblast differentiation via ELISA
Research has demonstrated that PDIA3-mediated myoblast differentiation requires β3 integrin and depends on the AKT/mTOR pathway. The inhibition of PDIA3 in muscle injuries disrupts myoblast differentiation, impairs muscle regeneration, and ultimately aggravates muscle damage .
PDIA3 antibodies can be integrated into sophisticated proteomic workflows:
Mass spectrometry-coupled immunoprecipitation:
Peptide mass fingerprinting of immunoprecipitated proteins can identify PDIA3-interacting partners
Targeted proteomics using parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) can quantify specific PDIA3 peptides in complex samples
Label-free quantification methods enable comparison of PDIA3 levels across experimental conditions
Protocol considerations:
Incorporate heavy-labeled PDIA3 peptides as internal standards for absolute quantification
For studying secreted PDIA3 complexes, use heparin-agarose affinity purification followed by immunoblotting
Recent methodological innovations:
BirA-HA tagging systems for proximity labeling of PDIA3 partners
Affinity purification using custom oligonucleotide primers for target specificity
Coupling with XhoI and XbaI digestion for recombinant expression systems
These advanced proteomic approaches have revealed PDIA3's involvement in diverse protein interaction networks and identified novel epitopes recognized by autoantibodies in disease states .
When faced with discrepant results using different PDIA3 antibodies, researchers should implement a systematic troubleshooting approach:
Sources of antibody discrepancies:
Epitope accessibility differences (conformational vs. linear epitopes)
Cross-reactivity with related PDI family members
Clone-specific affinities for different PDIA3 post-translational modifications
Batch-to-batch variability in commercially produced antibodies
Resolution strategies:
Perform siRNA knockdown validation with each antibody to confirm specificity
Compare monoclonal vs. polyclonal antibodies targeting different epitopes
Test antibodies on recombinant PDIA3 to assess direct binding capacity
Validate with orthogonal techniques (e.g., mass spectrometry) when possible
Documentation best practices:
Maintain detailed records of antibody clones, lots, and sources
Report comprehensive validation data in publications
Document application-specific optimization parameters
Consider antibody registry databases for standardization