Beclin 1 Monoclonal Antibody (Clone 5F7)

Beclin 1 (BECN1) is a core component of the class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) complex, which generates phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI3P) and has functions in macroautophagy and the endocytic pathway when associated with ATG14 and UVRAG, respectively.{43560} BECN1 is comprised of a BH3 domain involved in Bcl-2/Bcl-xL binding, a coiled-coil domain, and an evolutionarily conserved domain (ECD) that is required for association with the PI3K complex.{43562,43563} Binding of BECN1 to various BECN1-interacting proteins can regulate the activity of the ATG14-containing PI3K complex, which is required for nucleation of the phagophore during macroautophagy.{43560,43561} Binding of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 to BECN1 prevents the association of BECN1 with the PI3K complex and inhibits autophagy, whereas AMBRA1, which also binds directly to BECN1, positively regulates the PI3K complex to facilitate autophagy.{43560,43563} Transfection of autophagy-deficient MCF-7 human breast cancer cells with wild-type BECN1, but not a BECN1 mutant lacking the ECD, increases starvation-induced autophagy in vitro and inhibits tumor growth in an MCF-7 mouse xenograft model, indicating that BECN1 has ECD-dependent tumor suppressor activity.{43562} BECN1 heterozygous mice expressing human amyloid precursor protein (APP+Becn1+/- mice) have decreased autophagy in the cerebral cortex, increased extracellular amyloid-? (A?) deposits in the frontal cortex, and increased intraneuronal A? accumulation in the hippocampus and frontoparietal cortex compared to APP+Becn1+/- mice.{43564} BECN1 may also have roles in ischemia/reperfusion injury, Niemann-Pick type C disease, and protection against viral infection.{43563} Cayman’s Beclin 1 Monoclonal Antibody (Clone 5F7) can be used for Western blot and ELISA applications. The antibody recognizes Beclin 1 at approximately 52 kDa from human samples.