Protein phosphorylation plays a vital role in the proper functioning of specific pathways. This process can be influenced by both internal and external factors, making it a reversible action that involves the participation of kinases and phosphatases. The significance of this activity is evident in crucial cellular processes such as the cell cycle, apoptosis, and signal transduction pathways. However, if protein phosphorylation occurs when it shouldn’t or if dephosphorylation is interrupted, it can lead to severe disruptions in the cellular pathway. In fact, the phosphorylation state of proteins has been implicated in various diseases, including degenerative diseases, cancers, and immune system-related pathways. Notably, the success of cancer treatments has been attributed to kinase inhibitors, highlighting the importance of protein phosphorylation in developing effective therapies.
Gaining a comprehensive understanding of the signalling cascade is essential in unravelling the mysteries of cancer and identifying potential treatments. The complexity of cancer research lies in the involvement of multiple signalling pathways and proteins in disease progression. Excitingly, there are drugs targeting tyrosine kinases that hold great promise as anti-cancer therapies, underscoring the pivotal role of protein phosphorylation in the field of cancer treatment.
Determining whether a protein of interest is phosphorylated can be done in several ways. One simple approach is to use an antibody that targets the phosphorylation site. This allows the examination of specific phosphorylation sites or assess total phosphorylation if the protein has multiple sites. Western blots are commonly used to monitor protein presence and expression levels.
Additionally, there are available ELISA kits that can help semi-quantify the levels of phosphorylation in cells. These kits allow you to assess kinase activity.
The MBLI Assay/Inhibitor Screening Kit is designed to measure the activities of purified kinase for the rapid and sensitive evaluation of inhibitors.
| Product Code | Product Name |
| CY-1177 | CycLex p38 Kinase Assay/Inhibitor Screening Kit |
| CY-1168 | CycLex® AKT/PKB Kinase Assay/Inhibitor Screening Kit |
| CY-1163 | CycLex Polo-like kinase 1 Assay/Inhibitor Screening Kit |
| CY-1170 | CycLex CK2(Casein kinase II) Kinase Assay/Inhibitor Screening Kit |
REFERENCES:
- Ardito, F., Giuliani, M., Perrone, D., Troiano, G., & Muzio, L. L. (2017). The crucial role of protein phosphorylation in cell signaling and its use as targeted therapy (Review). International Journal of Molecular Medicine,40(2), 271-280. doi:10.3892/ijmm.2017.3036.
- Ferguson, F. M., & Gray, N. S. (2018). Kinase inhibitors: The road ahead. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery,17(5), 353-377. doi:10.1038/nrd.2018.21
- Singh, V., Ram, M., Kumar, R., Prasad, R., Roy, B. K., & Singh, K. K. (2017). Phosphorylation: Implications in Cancer. The Protein Journal,36(1), 1-6. doi:10.1007/s10930-017-9696-z
Information provided by MBL International.
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