CCIN antibody, targeting the CCIN (Cajal body component) protein, is a research tool primarily used to study nuclear suborganelles called Cajal bodies (CBs). Discovered in the early 20th century, CBs are dynamic structures involved in RNA processing, particularly the biogenesis of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) and telomerase assembly. The CCIN protein, also known as coilin, serves as a scaffold for CB formation and recruitment of factors like SMN complex components.
CCIN antibodies are widely employed in immunofluorescence, Western blotting, and immunoprecipitation to investigate CB dynamics during the cell cycle, stress responses, and diseases. Studies using these antibodies have revealed CB disassembly in mitosis, their role in viral infections, and associations with neurological disorders (e.g., spinal muscular atrophy) and cancers. Recent research also explores CCIN's involvement in DNA repair mechanisms. However, CBs remain partially enigmatic, and CCIN antibodies continue to be crucial for deciphering their molecular functions. Commercial CCIN antibodies are typically raised against conserved regions (e.g., human coilin amino acids 1-300) and validated across species, though functional variations between isoforms require careful experimental design.