PathScan^® Signaling Nodes I 4-Plex Array Kit

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Product Description

Background

Cells must respond in an appropriate fashion to many complex signaling events. Extracellular signaling cues are organized into well defined signal transduction modules that control fundamental cellular behavior. Two prominent signaling modules that are among the best characterized are the p44/42 MAP kinase (ERK MAPK) and p38 MAPK. The p44/42 MAPK is activated by a wide variety of extracellular signals including growth and neurotrophic factors, cytokines, hormones and neurotransmitters. p44/42 MAPK activation occurs through phosphorylation of threonine and tyrosine at the sequence T*EY* by a dual specificity kinase called MAP kinase kinase (MEK). p38 MAPK is dually phosphorylated in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines or cellular stress. These signaling modules are central controllers of fundamental cellular behavior such as growth, proliferation, movement, and response to stress. Growth factor stimulation results in phosphorylation of S6 ribosomal protein on Ser235/236, leading to an increase in protein synthesis and cell cycle progression. Phosphorylation levels of critical molecular switches such as MAPKs therefore serve as a reliable indicator of the activation state of the entire signaling module. The profiling of phosphorylation events using phospho-specific antibodies is now widely used to investigate diagnostic pathology (1,2). While profiling of protein phosphorylation events was shown to predict the progression of a tumor to a more invasive stage (3), it has been observed that the ratio between p44/42 MAPK and p38 MAPK may predict whether tumor cells will proliferate or enter a state of dormancy in vivo (4). PathScan^® Signaling Nodes I 4-Plex Array Kit provides the researcher with means to profile numerous chemical compounds and obtain in-cell relative potency (5).