Biochemicals and Reagents

Akt, also known as Protein Kinase B (PKB), is a serine/threonine-specific kinase crucial for regulating key cellular functions, including growth, survival, metabolism, and proliferation. It operates within the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, which integrates external signals to maintain cellular function and adaptation. Humans express three Akt isoforms—Akt1, Akt2, and Akt3—each encoded by a distinct gene. The activation of Akt generally starts when external signals like growth factors or insulin bind to cell surface receptors, activating phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). This leads to the production of phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PIP3) on the cell membrane, which attracts Akt to the membrane, where it undergoes phosphorylation at two specific sites, Thr308 and Ser473, to become fully active. Once activated, Akt moves through the cell to phosphorylate target proteins involved in various cellular pathways.The primary functions of Akt include promoting cell survival by inhibiting apoptosis through the inactivation of pro-apoptotic proteins like BAD and Caspase-9. It also supports cell growth and proliferation by activating mTOR, a central regulator of protein synthesis, while suppressing growth-arrest pathways. Akt plays a key role in metabolic regulation by increasing glucose uptake and glycolysis, largely through GLUT4 translocation and hexokinase activation, which is particularly important in muscle and fat tissues. It contributes to angiogenesis by upregulating VEGF expression, aiding tissue growth and repair, and it promotes cell migration, facilitating wound healing as well as the spread of cancer cells in malignancy. Due to its broad role in cell survival and growth, Akt is often hyperactivated in cancers, driving unchecked cell division and tumor growth, which makes the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway a target for many cancer therapies. Additionally, Akt's role in glucose metabolism links it to insulin signaling, where defects can impair glucose uptake, leading to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

CDK5RAP3 antibody was raised in Rabbit using Human CDK5RAP3 as the immunogen

The TRPM2 antibody is a highly specialized polyclonal antibody that targets the insulin receptor. This antibody is widely used in Life Sciences research to study glucose metabolism and its regulation. It specifically recognizes the activated form of glucose-6-phosphate, a key molecule in insulin signaling pathways.

ZNF668 antibody was raised in rabbit using the C terminal of ZNF668 as the immunogen

MAP2K3 antibody was raised using the C terminal of MAP2K3 corresponding to a region with amino acids EEPSPQLPADRFSPEFVDFTAQCLRKNPAERMSYLELMEHPFFTLHKTKK

Purified Polyclonal COPS3 antibody

Rabbit polyclonal p62Dok antibody

A synthetic peptide for use as a blocking control in assays to test for specificity of RPL30 antibody, catalog no. 70R-2180