Reagents detect phosphorylation of signal proteins

Performing cell signalling experiments via flow enables the user to generate precise, specific and quantitative measurements of the signalling response in individual cellular subpopulations.

The reagents, which in the initial offering are conjugated to either Alexa Fluor 488 or Alexa Fluor 647, are released in conjunction with a new method that allows analysis of samples in whole blood.

Analysing samples in whole blood minimises artifacts and variability introduced through sample manipulation and helps preserve the native biology of the cell.

The method has also shown high performance when used with bone marrow, cell culture and purified cell populations.

Antibodies in the Cell Lab SC line can be used in combination with extracellular markers to study signalling patterns in specific cellular subpopulations.

Products are available for the study of apoptosis, chromatin regulation, cytoskeletal signalling, DNA damage, lymphocyte signalling, MAP kinase signalling, protein folding, translation control and other phosphorylation events.

'The combined whole-blood application, which incorporates robust cell preparation and high-affinity antibodies, creates the potential to transform our understanding of cell signalling's role in disease, while also providing the pharmaceutical industry with the potential for improved characterisation of target compound function and effect,' said Brad Calvin, vice president of Beckman Coulter's Flow Cytometry Business Center.