Anti-p21, clone WA-1

1 mg/ml in sterile PBS, BSA free, sodium azide free. This antibody recognizes a 21kDa protein, identified as the p21 or p21WAF1 tumor suppressor protein. This antibody is highly specific to p21 and shows no cross-reaction with other closely related mitotic inhibitors. p21 is a specific inhibitor of cdkÆs and a tumor suppressor involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of malignancies. The expression of this gene acts as an inhibitor of the cell cycle during G1 phase and is tightly controlled by the tumor suppressor protein p53. p21 expression is induced by the wild type, but not mutant, p53. Normal cells generally display a rather intense nuclear p21 expression. Loss of p21 expression has been reported in many carcinomas (gastric carcinoma, non-small cell lung carcinoma, thyroid carcinoma). Protein function: May be the important intermediate by which p53/TP53 mediates its role as an inhibitor of cellular proliferation in response to DNA damage. Binds to and inhibits cyclin-dependent kinase activity, preventing phosphorylation of critical cyclin- dependent kinase substrates and blocking cell cycle progression. Functions in the nuclear localization and assembly of cyclin D- CDK4 complex and promotes its kinase activity towards RB1. At higher stoichiometric ratios, inhibits the kinase activity of the cyclin D-CDK4 complex. [The UniProt Consortium]