Akt antibody (Ser246)

Ref. 3D-70R-37062

Product Information

• Name: Akt antibody (Ser246)
• Brand: Biosynth
• Description: 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.