Invitrogen™ PKC alpha Polyclonal Antibody

The PKC family of serine/threonine kinases, including PRKCA (PKC alpha), is activated intracellularly by signal transduction pathways. In humans, at least 12 different PKC polypeptides have been identified. These isoforms differ in primary structure, tissue distribution, subcellular localization, mode of action in vitro, response to extracellular signals, and substrate specificity. PKC alpha, beta I, beta II, and gamma form the conventional family; their activities are Ca2+- and phospholipid-dependent. Protein kinase C (PKC) can be activated by calcium and the second messenger diacylglycerol. PKC family members phosphorylate a wide variety of protein targets and are known to be involved in diverse cellular signaling pathways. PKC family members also serve as major receptors for phorbol esters, a class of tumor promoters. Each member of the PKC family has a specific expression profile and is believed to play a distinct role in cells. The protein encoded by this gene is one of the PKC family members. This kinase has been reported to play roles in many different cellular processes, such as cell adhesion, cell transformation, cell cycle checkpoint, and cell volume control. Knockout studies in mice suggest that this kinase may be a fundamental regulator of cardiac contractility and Ca(2+) handling in myocytes.