Human Cripto-1 Alexa Fluor® 488‑conjugated Antibody

Applications

Please Note: Optimal dilutions should be determined by each laboratory for each application. General Protocols are available in the Technical Information section on our website.

Preparation and Storage

Background: Cripto

Cripto is the founding member of the epidermal growth factor-CriptoFRL1Cryptic (EGF-CFC) family of signaling proteins that function in cancer and various developmental processes. These developmental processes include: formation of the germ layers and dorsal organizer, specification of anterior-posterior and left-right axes, and differentiation of heart muscle (1, 2). Other members of the EGF-CFC family include Cryptic, Xenopus FRL-1 and zebrafish OEP (one-eyed pinhead). Overall sequence identity between members of the family is low, but they do share several common domains: a variant EGF-like motif, a novel conserved
cysteine-rich domain (called CFC domain), and a C-terminal hydrophobic region. Most EGF-CFC members have a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchoring site at the C-terminus and exist as extracellular membrane-anchored proteins. However, naturally-occurring soluble isoforms also exist. Human Cripto shares 66% and 28% amino acid identity with mouse Cripto and zebrafish OEP, respectively (2). Despite weak conservation in amino acid identity, EGF-CFC family members appear to function similarly in assays for phenotypic rescue of zebrafish oep mutants (2). Both secreted and membrane bound forms of Cripto demonstrate biological activity (3). Cripto, also known as CFC-2 or TDGF-1 (teratocarcinoma-derived growth factor), was originally isolated from an undifferentiated human teratocarcinoma cell line as a potential oncogene. It is overexpressed in many types of cancers and acts as a growth factor for tumors (4). Genetic evidence from mice and zebrafish points to a role for Cripto as an essential cofactor in Nodal signaling. Cripto and OEP mutants display defects in mesoderm induction and heart morphogenesis, similar to phenotypes seen in Nodal mutants (2).Cripto acts as a cofactor for Nodal by recruiting the Activin type I Receptor, ALK-4, leading to an
Act RIIB-ALK4-Cripto-Nodal complex for signaling (1, 3). Cripto also forms a complex with activin and Act RIIs to block activin signaling (5). Studies have shown that other TGF-beta superfamily members such as Vg1 and GDF-1 also require EGF-CFC cofactors (6). Cripto can also activate mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Akt pathways independently of Nodal by directly binding to a membrane-associated heparan sulfate proteoglycan, glypican-1 (7).

Product Datasheets

Product Specific Notices

This product is provided under an agreement between Life Technologies Corporation and R&D Systems, Inc, and the manufacture, use, sale or import of this product is subject to one or more US patents and corresponding non-US equivalents, owned by Life Technologies Corporation and its affiliates. The purchase of this product conveys to the buyer the non-transferable right to use the purchased amount of the product and components of the product only in research conducted by the buyer (whether the buyer is an academic or for-profit entity). The sale of this product is expressly conditioned on the buyer not using the product or its components (1) in manufacturing; (2) to provide a service, information, or data to an unaffiliated third party for payment; (3) for therapeutic, diagnostic or prophylactic purposes; (4) to resell, sell, or otherwise transfer this product or its components to any third party, or for any other commercial purpose. Life Technologies Corporation will not assert a claim against the buyer of the infringement of the above patents based on the manufacture, use or sale of a commercial product developed in research by the buyer in which this product or its components was employed, provided that neither this product nor any of its components was used in the manufacture of such product. For information on purchasing a license to this product for purposes other than research, contact Life Technologies Corporation, Cell Analysis Business Unit, Business Development, 29851 Willow Creek Road, Eugene, OR 97402, Tel: (541) 465-8300. Fax: (541) 335-0354.

Related Research Areas

• Cardiac Stem Cell Markers
• Embryonic and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Markers
• New Tools: for Developmental Research
• TGF-beta Family
• TGF-beta Superfamily
• TGF-beta Superfamily Modulators
• Wnt Receptors