METTL3 (Methyltransferase-like 3) is a critical component of the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methyltransferase complex, responsible for catalyzing the addition of m6A modifications to RNA molecules. As the core catalytic subunit, METTL3 plays a pivotal role in post-transcriptional gene regulation, influencing RNA splicing, stability, translation, and cellular processes such as differentiation, proliferation, and stress responses. Dysregulation of METTL3 has been linked to various diseases, including cancer, neurological disorders, and metabolic conditions, making it a focus of biomedical research.
METTL3 antibodies are essential tools for studying its expression, localization, and molecular interactions. These antibodies are commonly used in techniques like Western blotting, immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence (IF), and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) to investigate METTL3's role in physiological and pathological contexts. Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies targeting specific epitopes of METTL3 enable researchers to assess protein levels across tissues, track dynamic changes during cellular processes, and validate CRISPR/Cas9 knockout or RNAi-mediated knockdown efficiency.
Recent studies using METTL3 antibodies have revealed its oncogenic potential in cancers, where overexpression correlates with tumor progression and poor prognosis. Conversely, reduced METTL3 activity has been implicated in neurodevelopmental defects. As m6A-related therapies gain traction, high-specificity METTL3 antibodies remain crucial for mechanistic studies and therapeutic target validation. Commercial antibodies are typically validated for cross-reactivity and batch consistency, though species-specific considerations (human, mouse, rat) are critical for experimental design.