The CBX4 antibody is a crucial tool for studying the Chromobox homolog 4 (CBX4) protein, a member of the Polycomb group (PcG) family. CBX4. also known as hPc2. is a component of the Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1), which plays a central role in epigenetic gene regulation by maintaining transcriptional repression of target genes, particularly through chromatin modification. CBX4 contains a conserved chromodomain that binds to trimethylated histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3), a hallmark of PRC2-mediated silencing, linking PRC1 and PRC2 activities in establishing stable gene repression. Beyond its role in PRC1. CBX4 uniquely functions as a small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) E3 ligase, regulating processes like DNA damage response, senescence, and stem cell pluripotency via SUMOylation of substrates such as HIPK2 or ΔNp63α.
CBX4 antibodies are widely used in research to investigate its expression, localization, and molecular interactions in developmental processes, cancer, and aging. They enable techniques like Western blotting, immunofluorescence, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), and immunohistochemistry to map CBX4’s tissue-specific distribution, nuclear dynamics, and association with chromatin. Studies using these antibodies have revealed CBX4’s dual roles in oncogenesis, where it acts as both a tumor suppressor (e.g., in squamous cell carcinoma) and a promoter of metastasis (e.g., in liver cancer), highlighting its context-dependent functions. Validated CBX4 antibodies are critical for exploring its therapeutic potential and mechanistic insights into epigenetic regulation, cellular differentiation, and disease progression.