**Background of MCAK Antibody**
MCAK (Mitotic Centromere-Associated Kinesin), also known as KIF2C, is a member of the kinesin-13 family of microtubule-depolymerizing motor proteins. It plays a critical role in regulating microtubule dynamics during mitosis, ensuring proper chromosome alignment, segregation, and faithful cell division. MCAK localizes to centromeres, spindle poles, and microtubule tips, where it destabilizes microtubules by catalyzing the removal of tubulin subunits, thus correcting erroneous kinetochore-microtubule attachments and maintaining genomic stability.
Antibodies targeting MCAK are essential tools for studying its expression, localization, and function in cellular processes. They are widely used in techniques such as Western blotting, immunofluorescence, and immunoprecipitation to investigate MCAK's role in mitotic regulation, cancer biology, and chromosomal instability. Dysregulation of MCAK has been linked to tumorigenesis, metastasis, and chemoresistance, making it a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in oncology.
MCAK antibodies also aid in exploring post-translational modifications (e.g., phosphorylation by Aurora kinases) that modulate its activity. Their specificity and reliability enable researchers to dissect molecular mechanisms underlying mitotic errors and diseases, advancing both basic research and translational applications in cell biology and cancer therapeutics.