CST's PathScan^® Phospho-AMPKα (Thr172) Sandwich ELISA Antibody Pair is offered as an economical alternative to our PathScan^® Phospho-AMPKα-(Thr172) Sandwich ELISA Kit #7959. Capture and Detection antibodies (100X stocks) and Anti-Mouse IgG, HRP-linked Antibody (1000X stock) are supplied. Sufficient reagents are provided for 4 x 96 well ELISAs. The AMPKα Rabbit Capture Antibody is coated in PBS overnight in a 96 well microplate. After blocking, cell lysates are added followed by a Phospho-AMPKα (Thr172) Mouse Detection Antibody and Anti-Mouse IgG, HRP-linked Antibody. HRP substrate, TMB, is added for color development. The magnitude of the absorbance for this developed color is proportional to the quantity of Phospho-AMPKα (Thr172) protein.
Antibodies in kit are custom formulations specific to kit.

Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS-20X) #9808
Phosphate Buffered Saline with Tween-20 (PBST-20X) #9809
Cell Lysis Buffer (10X) #9803
TMB Substrate #7004
STOP Solution #7002
Blocking Buffer: 1X PBS/0.5% Tween-20, 1% BSA
96 Well Microplates**
Microplate Reader
** Antibody Pairs have been validated on Corning© 96 Well Clear Polystyrene High Bind Stripwell™ Microplates (#2592).

Notes: Antibody pairs have been optimized using recommended buffers, reagents, plates and the included protocol. Solutions should be made fresh daily.

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is highly conserved from yeast to plants and animals and plays a key role in the regulation of energy homeostasis (1). AMPK is a heterotrimeric complex composed of a catalytic α subunit and regulatory β and γ subunits, each of which is encoded by two or three distinct genes (α1, 2; β1, 2; γ1, 2, 3) (2). The kinase is activated by an elevated AMP/ATP ratio due to cellular and environmental stress, such as heat shock, hypoxia, and ischemia (1). The tumor suppressor LKB1, in association with accessory proteins STRAD and MO25, phosphorylates AMPKα at Thr172 in the activation loop, and this phosphorylation is required for AMPK activation (3-5). AMPKα is also phosphorylated at Thr258 and Ser485 (for α1; Ser491 for α2). The upstream kinase and the biological significance of these phosphorylation events have yet to be elucidated (6). The β1 subunit is post-translationally modified by myristoylation and multi-site phosphorylation including Ser24/25, Ser96, Ser101, Ser108, and Ser182 (6,7). Phosphorylation at Ser108 of the β1 subunit seems to be required for AMPK activation, while phosphorylation at Ser24/25 and Ser182 affects AMPK localization (7). Several mutations in AMPKγ subunits have been identified, most of which are located in the putative AMP/ATP binding sites (CBS or Bateman domains). Mutations at these sites lead to reduction of AMPK activity and cause glycogen accumulation in heart or skeletal muscle (1,2). Accumulating evidence indicates that AMPK not only regulates the metabolism of fatty acids and glycogen, but also modulates protein synthesis and cell growth through EF2 and TSC2/mTOR pathways, as well as blood flow via eNOS/nNOS (1).