Novus Biologicals Launches First TMEM97 Antibody on the Market

Novus announces the launch of a new antibody target not currently available by any other antibody supplier. The two new antibodies are a human TMEM97 antibody (NBP1-30436) and mouse TMEM97 antibody (NBP1-30437). The human TMEM97 antibody has been successfully tested in Western blot and immunocytochemistry, and the mouse TMEM97 antibody is useful for Western blot with immunocytochemistry evaluation pending. TMEM97 has been linked to several cancers including breast, pancreatic, colorectal and ovarian cancers.

In a recent publication, Bartz F, et al. identified 20 genes, including TMEM97, that are functional regulators of cellular cholesterol homeostasis (Cell Metab. 2009 Jul;10(1):63-75). TMEM97 (MAC30) is a conserved transmembrane protein that helps regulate cellular cholesterol levels through colocalization with Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1). Under sterol-depleted conditions TMEM97 localizes to endo-/lysosomal compartments and binds to NPC1, a LDL cholesterol transport-regulating protein. The finding that TMEM97 colocalizes with NPC1 implies that TMEM97 contributes to the regulation of LDL-cholesterol trafficking to and from lysosomes, rather than playing a role in the immediate endocytic update of LDL. Bartz F, et al. propose that TMEM97 may induce NPC1 to modify its cholesterol transport activity following its expression by activated SREBP.

TMEM97 and the other 19 genes identified by Bartz F, et al. are promising targets for the study of how cells control cholesterol levels. Along with TMEM97, four other genes were identified as cholesterol regulators based on their distinct transcriptional activation in response to sterol depletion, including C17orf59, ETV5, SYTL2 and VRK3.

Novus Biologicals also provides a full line of cholesterol metabolism related antibodies, peptides, lysates and reagents.