Uses
May be used in the study of skeletal muscle organization and in studies of the membrane anchorage sites of actin.
General Description
α-actinin is a 100kD actin binding protein found in muscle as well as non-muscle cells. In smooth muscle, α-actinin is identified in dense bodies and plaques characteristic of tissues whereas it is associated with z-discs that define muscle sarcomas in normal skeletal muscle. Monoclonal anti-α-actinin antibody can be used in immunoblotting to study the membrane anchorage sites and immunochemical identification of α-actinin. It can also be used in immunofluorescence to study the localization of α-actinin in cultured cells and tissues. Mouse anti-α-actinin antibody reacts specifically with chicken fibroblasts. The product has also shown reactivity for mouse and human cells.
Biochem/physiol Actions
α?actinin regulates muscle contraction and cytoskeletal organization. It promotes cell migration and acts as an actin crosslinker. Mutations in the α-actinin gene is observed in heterogeneous hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and in juvenile onset atrial fibrillation.
