Mouse Monoclonal Antibody to EWS
Cat# MCA-5H7

      The Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1 gene EWSR1, was discovered as the name suggests as it is located at the breakpoint on human chromosome 22 which may becomes fused to segments of other chromosomes following chromoplexy, a burst of complex chromosomal rearrangement seen in cancer cells (1,2). The genetic rearrangement produces a set of aberrant genes consisting of the 5′ of the EWSR1 gene fused to gene segments of several different transcriptional regulator proteins, see the OMIM EWS fusion genes entry for details. The normal EWSR1 gene encodes a protein, EWS RNA binding protein 1, containing an N-terminal transactivation domain followed by a single RRM domain and a single Zinc Finger domain of the ZnF_RBZ type. Chromoplexy results in the production of aberrant genes encoding the N-terminal EWS transactivation domain fused to DNA binding segments of various transcription factors, resulting in strong activation of transcription (3). EWS is an abundant, ubiquitous and multifunctional protein involved in regulating gene expression, cell division, RNA processing and transport. EWS is localized primarily in the nucleus of cells, but has also been found in the cytoplasm, and associated with the plasma membrane in a fashion regulated by the protein kinase PYK2 (3,4). Expression of EWS in the various subcellular compartments is affected by the methylation state of its RNA-binding domain (5). EWS associates with and stabilizes microtubules, leading to cell cycle arrest (6). EWS, FUS/TLS and TAF15 are closely related proteins which form the FET protein family which evolved from an single ancestor by gene multiplication (3). All have been implicated in the etiology of some forms of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, 7). All three proteins are less closely related to another RNA binding protein TDP43, also implicated in the etiology of ALS (8).
      The MCA-5H7 monoclonal antibody was raised against full length recombinant human EWS expressed in and purified from E. coli. It works well on western blots of tissue extracts, on cells in culture and for IF and ICC, but is not recommended for IHC. EnCor also supplies mouse monoclonal antibodies to the EWS related proteins TAF15 and TDP43, MCA-4D71 and MCA-3H8 respectively. Mouse select image at left for larger view.