title: Rab antibody characterization: comparison of Rab14 antibodies.
abstract: Rab14 functions in the endocytic recycling pathway, having been implicated in the trafficking of the ADAM10 protease, GLUT4, and components of cell-cell junctions to the plasma membrane. It localizes predominantly to endocytic membranes with a pool also found on trans-Golgi network (TGN) membranes, and is most closely related to the Rab11 subfamily of GTPases. Certain intracellular bacteria such as Legionella pneumophila, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Salmonella enterica utilize Rab14 to promote their maturation and replication. Furthermore, the HIV envelope glycoprotein complex subverts the function of Rab14, and its effector the Rab Coupling Protein (RCP), in order to direct its transport to the plasma membrane. Since the use of antibodies is critical for the functional characterization of cellular proteins and their specificity and sensitivity is crucial in drawing reliable conclusions, it is important to rigorously characterize antibodies prior to their use in cell biology or biochemistry experiments. This is all the more critical in the case of antibodies raised to a protein which belongs to a protein family. In this chapter, we present our evaluation of the specificity and sensitivity of a number of commercially available Rab14 antibodies. We hope that this analysis provides guidance for researchers for antibody characterization prior to its use in cellular biology or biochemistry.
authors: Molecular Cell Biology Laboratory, School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Biosciences Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors: Andrew J
authors: AJ
authors: Lindsay
authors: Mary W
authors: MW
authors: McCaffrey
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D015153:Blotting, Western; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; C553411:Rab14 protein, human; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins