Species predicted to react based on 100% sequence homology:Pig
Specificity / Sensitivity
PLK1 Antibody detects endogenous levels of PLK1 independent of phosphorylation.
Source / Purification
Polyclonal antibodies are produced by immunizing animals with a synthetic peptide corresponding to residues near the carboxy terminus of human PLK1. Antibodies are purified by protein A and peptide affinity chromatography.
Background
At least 4 distinct polo-like kinases exist in mammalian cells: PLK1, PLK2, PLK3 and PLK4/SAK (1). PLK1 apparently plays many roles during mitosis, particularly in regulating mitotic entry and exit. The mitosis promoting factor (MPF), cdc2/cyclin B1, is activated by dephosphorylation of cdc2 (Thr14/Tyr15) by cdc25C. PLK1 phosphorylates cdc25C at Ser198 and cyclin B1 at Ser133 causing translocation of these proteins from the cytoplasm to the nucleus (2-5). PLK1 phosphorylation of Myt1 at Ser426 and Thr495 has been proposed to inactivate Myt1, one of the kinases known to phosphorylate cdc2 at Thr14/Tyr15 (6). Polo-like kinases also phosphorylate the cohesin subunit SCC1, causing cohesin displacement from chromosome arms that allow for proper cohesin localization to centromeres (7). Mitotic exit requires activation of the anaphase promoting complex (APC) (8), a ubiquitin ligase responsible for removal of cohesin at centromeres, and degradation of securin, cyclin A, cyclin B1, Aurora A and cdc20 (9). PLK1 phosphorylation of the APC subunits Apc1, cdc16 and cdc27 has been demonstrated in vitro and has been proposed as a mechanism by which mitotic exit is regulated (10,11).