Specificity:

Rabbit Anti-Human Bit1 recognizes an epitope in the intermediate domain of human and mouse Bit1. This polyclonal antibody was purified using affinity chromatography.

Background:

Adhesion to extracellular matrix regulates cell survival through both integrin engagement and appropriate cell spreading. Anoikis is the molecular mechanism of apop-tosis induced by integrin detachment.¹ Bit1 (Bcl-2 inhibitor of transcription 1) was recently identified as being involved in this process.² Bit1 is a mitochondrial protein that is released into the cytoplasm upon onset of apoptosis where it forms a complex with AES, a small Groucho/transducin-like enhancer of split (TLE) protein and induces caspase-independent apoptosis. Both AES and TLE proteins are transcriptional co-repressors that play important roles in neurogenesis, segmentation, and sex determination.³ It has been suggested that Bit1-AES complexes turn off a survival-promoting gene transcription program controlled by TLE.² Interestingly, apoptosis of cells transfected with Bit1 and AES could be inhibited if the cells were allowed to attach to fibronectin through the α5β1 integrin suggesting that the Bit1-AES pathway contributing to anoikis is regulated by integrins, and in particular, the α5β1 integrin.²

Known Species Cross Reactivity: Ms+, Hu+, Rt+