Cell Signaling Technology

Product Pathways - DNA Damage

Thymidylate Synthase Antibody #3766

Applications Reactivity Sensitivity MW (kDa) Source
W H M R Mk Hm Endogenous 30 Rabbit

Applications Key:  W=Western Blotting
Reactivity Key:  H=Human  M=Mouse  R=Rat  Mk=Monkey  Hm=Hamster
Species cross-reactivity is determined by Western blot.

Protocols

Specificity / Sensitivity

Thymidylate Synthase Antibody detects endogenous levels of total thymidylate synthase protein.

Source / Purification

Polyclonal antibodies are produced by immunizing animals with a synthetic peptide corresponding to residues near the carboxy terminus of human thymidylate synthase. Antibodies are purified using protein A and peptide affinity chromatography.

Western Blotting

Western Blotting

Western blot analysis of extracts from various cell types using Thymidylate Synthase Antibody.

Background

The methylation of deoxyuridine monophosphate (dUMP) to deoxythymidine monophosphate (dTMP) is an essential step in the formation of thymine nucleotides. (1,2, reviewed in 3). This process is catalyzed by thymidylate synthase (TS or TYMS), a homodimer composed of two 30 kDa subunits. TS is an intracellular enzyme that provides the sole de novo source of thymidylate, making it a required enzyme in DNA biosynthesis with activity highest in proliferating cells. (1) Being the exclusive source of dTMP, TS is also an important target for anticancer agents such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (1-5). 5-FU acts as a TS inhibitor and is active against solid tumors such as colon, breast, head and neck. Studies have shown that patients with metastases expressing lower levels of TS have higher response rate to treatment with 5-FU than patients with tumors that have increased levels of TS. (5) TS expression may be useful in predicting overall patient survival, but the prognostic value of TS expression continues to be a subject of investigation for different types of cancers (6-10).

  1. Johnston, P.G. et al. (1991) Cancer Res 51, 6668-76.
  2. Aschele, C. et al. (2002) Ann Oncol 13, 1882-92.
  3. Jackman, A.L. and Calvert, A.H. (1995) Ann Oncol 6, 871-81.
  4. Van Triest, B. et al. (2000) J Histochem Cytochem 48, 755-60.
  5. Johnston, P.G. et al. (1994) J Clin Oncol 12, 2640-7.
  6. Kwon, H.C. et al. (2007) Ann Oncol 18, 504-9.
  7. Allegra, C.J. et al. (2002) J Clin Oncol 20, 1735-43.
  8. Allegra, C.J. et al. (2003) J Clin Oncol 21, 241-50.
  9. Tsourouflis, G. et al. (2008) Dig Dis Sci 53, 1289-96.
  10. Kim, S.H. et al. (2009) Am J Clin Oncol 32, 38-43.

Application References

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This product is intended for research purposes only. The product is not intended to be used for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes in humans or animals.

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