The UNC5C antibody is a crucial tool for studying the UNC5C receptor, a member of the UNC5 family of netrin receptors involved in neural development and cancer biology. UNC5C, encoded by the *UNC5C* gene, acts as a dependence receptor that induces apoptosis in the absence of its ligand netrin-1. playing dual roles in cell survival and death. Structurally, it contains extracellular immunoglobulin (Ig) and thrombospondin type 1 (TSP1) domains for ligand binding, a transmembrane region, and a cytoplasmic death domain critical for pro-apoptotic signaling.
Research highlights UNC5C's involvement in axon guidance, neuronal migration, and vascular patterning during development. In cancer, UNC5C often functions as a tumor suppressor, with its silencing or mutation linked to colorectal, breast, and pancreatic cancers. Dysregulation of UNC5C-netrin signaling is also implicated in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
UNC5C antibodies are widely used in techniques such as Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence to detect protein expression, localization, and post-translational modifications. These antibodies help elucidate UNC5C's role in disease mechanisms and its potential as a therapeutic target. When selecting an UNC5C antibody, validation for specificity (e.g., using knockout controls) and compatibility with the experimental model (human, mouse) is essential. Both monoclonal and polyclonal variants are available, targeting distinct epitopes to accommodate diverse research needs.