ABSTRACT
The cancer phenotype is usually characterized by deregulated activity of a variety of cellular kinases, with consequent abnormal hyper-phosphorylation of their target proteins. Therefore, antibodies that allow the detection of phosphorylated versions of proteins have become important tools both preclinically in molecular cancer research, and at the clinical level by serving as tools in pathological analyses of tumors. In order to ensure reliable results, validation of the phospho-specificity of these antibodies is extremely important, since this ensures that they are indeed able to discriminate between the phosphorylated and unphosphorylated versions of the protein of interest, specifically recognizing the phosphorylated variant. A recommended validation approach consists in dephosphorylating the target protein and assessing if such dephosphorylation abrogates antigen immunoreactivity when using the phospho-specific antibody. In this chapter, we describe a protocol to validate the specificity of a phospho-specific antibody that recognizes a phosphorylated variant of the Retinoblastoma (Rb) protein in lung cancer cell lines. The protocol consists in the dephosphorylation of the Rb-containing protein lysates by treating them with bovine intestinal phosphatase, followed by assessment of the dephosphorylation by immunoblot.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Neoplasm/chemistry , Antibodies, Phospho-Specific/chemistry , Immunoblotting , Lung Neoplasms/metabolism , Phosphoproteins/metabolism , Retinoblastoma Protein/metabolism , Cell Line, Tumor , Humans , Lung Neoplasms/pathologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Arachidonic acid is released from cellular membranes by the action of phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) and is implicated in microtubule-associated protein Tau phosphorylation. Tau hyperphosphorylation affects its ability to stabilize microtubules. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of PLA(2) inhibition on the phosphorylation state of Tau phosphoepitopes in primary cultures of hippocampal neurons. METHODS: 4 DIC neurons were incubated at different concentrations of methyl-arachidonylfluorophosphonate (MAFP), an irreversible inhibitor of cPLA(2) and iPLA(2). Changes on Tau phosphorylation were determined by Western blotting with a panel of anti-Tau antibodies (C-terminal, Ser199/202, Ser202/205, Ser396 and Ser214). RESULTS: The Ser214 site was hyperphosphorylated upon MAFP treatment. Significant differences were observed with 10 microM (p=0.01), 50 microM (p=0.01) and 100 microM (p=0.05) of MAFP. Less-intense changes were found in other phosphoepitopes. CONCLUSION: The present findings indicate that the phosphorylation of Ser214 is regulated by c- and/or iPLA(2), whereas other phosphoepitopes primarily regulated by GKS3b were not affected.