May be used in the study of skeletal muscle organization and in studies of the membrane anchorage sites of actin.
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.
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.
