The mammalian Ste20-like kinase 1 (MST1), also known as STK4. is a serine/threonine kinase belonging to the STE20 protein kinase family. It plays a central role in the Hippo signaling pathway, a conserved pathway regulating organ size, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and tissue homeostasis. MST1 is activated by stress signals or cell-cell contact, triggering a kinase cascade that phosphorylates downstream effectors like LATS1/2. ultimately inhibiting YAP/TAZ transcriptional co-activators to restrict cell growth and promote apoptosis. Dysregulation of MST1 is implicated in cancer, immune disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases.
MST1 antibodies are essential tools for studying its expression, activation, and interactions in cellular pathways. They are widely used in techniques such as Western blotting, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and co-immunoprecipitation to detect MST1 protein levels, phosphorylation status (e.g., at Thr183/Thr180), and localization. Commercial MST1 antibodies are typically raised against specific epitopes in humans or mice, available as monoclonal or polyclonal formats. Validated antibodies often include knockout/knockdown controls to ensure specificity. Researchers utilize these antibodies to explore MST1's role in tumor suppression, immune cell regulation, and neuronal death mechanisms, making them critical for both basic research and therapeutic target validation. Proper antibody selection depends on experimental needs, species reactivity, and post-translational modification detection requirements.