The PathScan^® Total Bmi1 Sandwich ELISA Kit is a solid phase sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that detects endogenous levels of Bmi1 protein. A Bmi1 mouse mAb has been coated onto the microwells. After incubation with cell lysates, the Bmi1 proteins are captured by the coated antibody. Following extensive washing, a Bmi1 rabbit detection mAb is added to detect captured Bmi1 proteins. Anti-rabbit, HRP-linked antibody is then used to recognize the bound detection antibody. HRP substrate, TMB, is added to develop color. The magnitude of absorbance for the developed color is proportional to the quantity of Bmi1 protein.

*Antibodies in this kit are custom formulations specific to kit.

PathScan^® Total Bmi1 Sandwich ELISA Kit detects endogenous levels of Bmi1 protein in human cells, as shown in Figure 1. The kit sensitivity is shown in Figure 2. This kit detects proteins from the indicated species, as determined through in-house testing, but may also detect homologous proteins from other species.

The polycomb group (PcG) of proteins contributes to the maintenance of cell identity, stem cell self-renewal, cell cycle regulation, and oncogenesis by maintaining the silenced state of genes that promote cell lineage specification, cell death, and cell-cycle arrest (1-4). PcG proteins exist in two complexes that cooperate to maintain long-term gene silencing through epigenetic chromatin modifications. The first complex, EED-EZH2, is recruited to genes by DNA-binding transcription factors and methylates histone H3 on Lys27. This histone methyl-transferase activity requires the Ezh2, Eed, and Suz12 subunits of the complex (5). Histone H3 methylation at Lys27 facilitates the recruitment of the second complex, PRC1, which ubiquitinylates histone H2A on Lys119 (6). Bmi1 is a component of the PRC1 complex, which together with Ring1 strongly enhances the E3 ubiquitin ligase activity of the Ring2 catalytic subunit (7). Bmi1 plays an important role in the regulation of cell proliferation and senescence through repression of the p16 INK4A and p19 ARF genes and is required for maintenance of adult hematopoietic and neural stem cells (3,4,8-10).