Ubiquitin is a highly conserved globular 76 amino acid protein of about 8.5kD molecular weight.
It has a important role in the targeting of proteins for proteolytic degradation.
Proteins to be degraded are covalantly coupled to the C-terminus of ubiquitin by means of ubiquitin ligases.
The ubiquitin itself is frequently also ubiquitinated, producing a polyubiquitin chain.
The polyubquitinated complex is then recognized by a complex of degradative enzymes which together form the proteosome.
Interestingly, ubiquitin also becomes covalently bonded to many types of pathological inclusions seen in serious human disease states which appear to be resistant to normal degradation, so that ubiquitin antibodies are very useful for studies of these inclusions.
For example the neurofibrillary tangles and paired helical filaments diagnostic of Alzheimer's disease, the Lewy bodies seen in Parkinson's disease, and Pick bodies found in Pick's disease are all heavily ubiquitinated and can all be readily visualized with ubiquitin antibodies of appropriate specificity.
Ubiquitin antibodies have become very widely used for such studies.
The HGNC name for this protein is UBB, UBC.
Applications:Suitable for use in Immunofluorescence and Western Blot.
Other applications not tested.
Recommended Dilution:Immunofluorescence: 1:500-1:1000Western Blot: 1:5000-1:10,000Optimal dilutions to be determined by the researcher.
Storage and Stability:May be stored at 4°C for short-term only.
Aliquot to avoid repeated freezing and thawing.
Store at -20°C.
Aliquots are stable for 12 months.
For maximum recovery of product, centrifuge the original vial after thawing and prior to removing the cap.
