Mouse Monoclonal BAX Antibody

The BAX antibody is a crucial tool in apoptosis research, targeting the BCL-2-associated X protein (BAX), a pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family. BAX plays a pivotal role in mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis by permeabilizing the mitochondrial outer membrane, triggering cytochrome c release and caspase activation. Under normal conditions, BAX resides in the cytosol as an inactive monomer but undergoes conformational activation and oligomerization upon apoptotic stimuli, such as DNA damage or cellular stress. Antibodies against BAX are widely used to detect its expression, localization, and activation status in cells and tissues. They enable applications like Western blotting, immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence (IF), and flow cytometry, aiding studies in cancer, neurodegeneration, and developmental biology. Researchers often validate BAX antibodies using knockout cell lines or tissues to ensure specificity, as cross-reactivity with other Bcl-2 family proteins (e.g., BAK) can occur. Both monoclonal and polyclonal formats are available, with epitopes targeting distinct regions (e.g., N-terminal, C-terminal, or active conformation-specific domains). BAX dysregulation is linked to diseases, including chemotherapy resistance in tumors or excessive cell death in neurodegenerative disorders, making these antibodies vital for mechanistic and therapeutic investigations. Proper validation and optimization are critical due to variable performance across experimental conditions.