CSTA Antibody
Description
Product Specs
Product Science Overview
Cystatin A, also known as Stefin A, is a member of the cystatin superfamily, which encompasses proteins containing multiple cystatin-like sequences. These proteins are primarily known for their role as cysteine protease inhibitors. Cystatin A is particularly significant in human biology due to its involvement in various physiological and pathological processes.
Cystatin A is a small protein with a molecular weight of approximately 11 kDa. It functions as a cysteine protease inhibitor, forming tight complexes with enzymes such as papain and cathepsins B, H, and L . This inhibitory activity is crucial for regulating protease activity in various cellular processes, including protein degradation, immune response, and apoptosis.
Cystatin A is predominantly expressed in epithelial cells, particularly in the squamous epithelium, follicular dendritic cells in lymphoid tissues, thymic epithelial cells, liver cells, granulocytes, and basal epithelial cells in the prostate . It is also one of the precursor proteins of the cornified cell envelope in keratinocytes, playing a vital role in epidermal development and maintenance .
The expression levels of Cystatin A have been studied in various diseases, including cancer. It has been proposed as a potential prognostic and diagnostic marker for certain types of cancer due to its altered expression in tumor tissues . Additionally, Cystatin A’s role in inhibiting cysteine proteases makes it a potential therapeutic target for diseases involving excessive protease activity.
Mouse anti-human Cystatin A antibodies are monoclonal antibodies developed to specifically detect human Cystatin A. These antibodies are commonly used in various scientific applications, including Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, ELISA, and immunoprecipitation . They are valuable tools for studying the expression, localization, and function of Cystatin A in different biological contexts.
- Western Blotting: Used to detect Cystatin A in cell lysates and tissue extracts.
- Immunohistochemistry: Helps in visualizing the localization of Cystatin A in tissue sections.
- ELISA: Quantifies the levels of Cystatin A in biological samples.
- Immunoprecipitation: Isolates Cystatin A from complex mixtures for further analysis.
