A guide to selecting high-performing antibodies for Huntingtin (UniProt ID: P42858) for use in western blot, immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence

F1000Res. 2024 Aug 13:13:922. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.153670.1. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Huntingtin encodes a 3144 amino acid protein, with a polyglutamine repeat tract at the N-terminus. Expansion of this repeat tract above a pathogenic threshold of 36 repeats is the causative mutation of Huntington's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of striatal neurons. Here we have characterized twenty Huntingtin commercial antibodies for western blot, immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence using a standardized experimental protocol based on comparing read-outs in knockout cell lines and isogenic parental controls. These studies are part of a larger, collaborative initiative seeking to address antibody reproducibility issues by characterizing commercially available antibodies for human proteins and publishing the results openly as a resource for the scientific community. While use of antibodies and protocols vary between laboratories, we encourage readers to use this report as a guide to select the most appropriate antibodies for their specific needs.

Keywords: HTT; Huntingtin; UniProt ID P42858; antibody characterization; antibody validation; immunofluorescence; immunoprecipitation; western blot.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies* / immunology
  • Blotting, Western*
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique* / methods
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Huntingtin Protein* / genetics
  • Huntingtin Protein* / immunology
  • Huntington Disease / diagnosis
  • Huntington Disease / genetics
  • Huntington Disease / immunology
  • Immunoprecipitation* / methods

Substances

  • Huntingtin Protein
  • Antibodies
  • HTT protein, human

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a grant from the Government of Canada through Genome Canada, Genome Quebec, and Ontario Genomics (grant no. OGI-210). RF and RA are supported by Mitacs fellowships.