SPK1 Antibody
Description
Context and Function
Rad53 (also termed SPK1, Mec2, or Sad1) is a serine/threonine kinase critical for DNA damage response and cell cycle checkpoints in eukaryotes. It is activated by Mec1 (ATM homolog) and regulates G2 and S phase arrest to allow DNA repair .
Key Research Findings
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DNA Damage Response: Rad53/SPK1 activation enables cell cycle arrest, allowing DNA repair before replication .
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Checkpoint Regulation: Interacts with Mec1 (ATM) and transduces signals via kinases like Dun1 to maintain genomic integrity .
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Cross-Talk with Other Pathways: Studies suggest potential roles in chromatin remodeling and oxidative stress responses .
Context and Function
SPIKE1 (SPK1) is the sole DOCK family guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) in Arabidopsis thaliana. It regulates actin polymerization and cell-cell adhesion via ROP GTPases and WAVE-ARP2/3 complexes .
Key Research Findings
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Actin Regulation: SPK1 activates ROP GTPases, promoting actin polymerization and trichome branching .
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Signaling Complex: Associates with NAP1 and WAVE proteins to regulate polarized growth and cell-cell adhesion .
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Subcellular Localization: Accumulates at ER exit sites (ERES), facilitating vesicle trafficking and membrane organization .
Comparative Analysis of SPK1 Antibodies
Challenges and Future Directions
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Specificity Concerns: Rad53/SPK1 antibodies may cross-react with homologs in non-mammalian systems. Validation via orthogonal methods (e.g., CRISPR knockouts) is recommended .
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Plant Research Gaps: SPIKE1/SPK1 antibodies are underutilized in crop improvement studies. Further work is needed to explore its role in stress responses .
Product Specs
Constituents: 50% Glycerol, 0.01M PBS, pH 7.4
Target Background
- Studies suggest that during late petal development, SPIKE1 (SPK1), a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, along with Rho of Plants (ROP) GTPase proteins (ROP2, ROP4, and ROP6)-dependent signaling module, influences anisotropic growth in the petal and ultimately defines the final organ shape. PMID: 27440754
- Research has demonstrated that SPIKE1 and Rho of Plants (ROP) GTPases are crucial for the final shape formation of conical cells, similarly to KTN1. Live-cell imaging revealed that wild-type cells exhibit random orientation of cortical microtubule arrays during early developmental stages but display a well-ordered circumferential orientation of microtubule arrays at later stages. PMID: 28644898
- Data indicate that SPIKE1 is a peripheral membrane protein that accumulates at, and promotes the formation of, a specialized domain of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) termed the ER exit site (ERES). PMID: 21109438
- The DOCK family protein SPIKE1 (SPK1) is a GEF, and one of its functions is to control actin polymerization via two heteromeric complexes termed WAVE and actin-related protein (ARP) 2/3. PMID: 18308939
