COUP-TF1 (Chicken Ovalbumin Upstream Promoter Transcription Factor 1), also known as NR2F1. is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily. It functions as a transcription factor regulating gene expression by binding to specific DNA sequences, often as a monomer or homodimer. COUP-TF1 plays critical roles in embryonic development, including neurogenesis, angiogenesis, and organogenesis. It is involved in cell fate determination, differentiation, and metabolic regulation, with activity modulated by post-translational modifications and interactions with co-regulators.
Antibodies targeting COUP-TF1 are essential tools for studying its expression, localization, and function. These antibodies are typically developed in hosts like rabbits or mice, using immunogens derived from conserved regions of the human or mouse COUP-TF1 protein. They enable applications such as Western blotting, immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence (IF), and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Validated antibodies show specificity for COUP-TF1 over closely related family members like COUP-TF2 (NR2F2).
COUP-TF1 dysregulation has been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., Bosch-Boonstra-Schaaf optic atrophy syndrome) and cancers, where it may act as an oncogene or tumor suppressor depending on context. Research using COUP-TF1 antibodies has elucidated its role in stem cell maintenance, metabolic reprogramming, and disease pathways. Proper validation via knockout controls or siRNA knockdown is crucial due to potential cross-reactivity with paralogs or splice variants.