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The ability of research antibodies to bind to their proteins of interest, or to the peptide tags attached to such proteins, can vary depending on the particular amino acids surrounding the target binding sites or modifications to those sites, according to reports published Tuesday (January 28) in Science Signaling. In some cases, such antibodies even cross-react with other proteins, the authors warn.
“These papers, like others, clearly indicate that even commercially available antibodies need thorough evaluations for the respective purposes for which they will be used,” pharmacologist Thomas Wieland of Heidelberg University who was not involved with the papers writes in an email to The Scientist.
Antibodies, proteins that bind with high affinity and specificity to target molecules, are one of the most commonly used tools for studying protein biology. Some have been produced to recognize particular proteins of interest, while others recognize short peptide chains ...
