sPECAM-1 Monkey ELISA

Research topic

Cell adhesion proteins, Oncology, Animal studies

Summary

PECAM-1 (platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1) also called CD31 and EndoCAM is a newly characterized adhesion molecule that belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily.. PECAM-1 is a transmembrane glycoprotein with a molecular weight of approximately 130 kDa, depending on the degree of glycosylation.
PECAM-1 is constitutively expressed on all vascular cells and has provided a useful immunohistochemical marker of blood vessels, particularly in the setting of angiogenesis. It has also been found on platelets, monocytes, neutrophils and CD8+ T cells. Bone marrow stem cells and transformed cell lines of the myeloid and megakaryocytic lineage also express PECAM-1. Interestingly, PECAM-1 was also detected on solid tumor lines.
Recent studies suggest a role for PECAM-1 in the inflammatory process and leukocyte-endothelial interaction. The process of leukocyte emigration to the site of inflammation can be dissected into three successive stages: rolling, mediated by the selectins; tight adhesion mediated by ICAMs and their counter-receptors, the integrins; and transmigration of leukocytes through intercellular junctions of vascular endothelial cells which requires PECAM-1. PECAM-1 appears to be able to interact both with itself (homophilic binding) and with other "non-PECAM-1" molecules (heterophilic binding).
PECAM-1 is an early and sensitive marker for tumor-induced angiogenesis. Several data have suggested that PECAM-1 may be involved in the process of angiogenesis in a developing vertebrate embryo as well as during metastases formation.
Besides the membrane-bound form of PECAM-1 a soluble form of the molecule exists, which is smaller than cell-associated PECAM-1, and contains the cytoplasmic tail. This form of soluble PECAM-1 is encoded by an alternatively spliced mRNA from which the exon containing the transmembrane domain has been removed. Soluble PECAM-1 can be detected in plasma.