Anti-MUC4 / Mucin 4, clone MUC4/2863

1 mg/ml in 1X PBS, BSA free, sodium azide free. ASGP-2 antibody targets Mucin-4, a large transmembrane glycoprotein encoded by the human MUC4 gene and a member of the membrane-bound mucin family. ASGP-2, short for Ascites sialoglycoprotein 2, represents the membrane-associated subunit of the MUC4 heterodimer that was originally characterized in ascites tumor cells. In the literature, ASGP-2 antibody and MUC4 antibody are used interchangeably because ASGP-2 corresponds to the membrane-bound component of Mucin-4. This historical nomenclature remains relevant in cancer biology and epithelial differentiation studies.MUC4 is synthesized as a high molecular weight precursor that undergoes proteolytic processing into two subunits, commonly referred to as ASGP-1 and ASGP-2, which remain non-covalently associated at the cell surface. The extracellular domain contains heavily O-glycosylated tandem repeat regions that contribute to mucosal barrier function. In normal tissues, Mucin-4 expression is primarily localized to glandular and ductal epithelial cells of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary tracts. During malignant transformation, MUC4 expression frequently becomes upregulated and loses apical polarity, contributing to altered cell adhesion, enhanced tumor cell survival, and increased metastatic potential. ASGP-2 antibody is therefore valuable for evaluating epithelial tumor progression and differentiation status.Mucin-4 has been shown to interact with receptor tyrosine kinases such as ERBB2, modulating downstream signaling pathways involved in proliferation and resistance to apoptosis. Elevated MUC4 expression has been documented in pancreatic, breast, lung, ovarian, gastric, and colorectal carcinomas, where it may correlate with aggressive disease and poor clinical outcome. ASGP-2 antibody supports investigations into these oncogenic signaling mechanisms and tumor-associated expression patterns.Structurally, the ASGP-2 subunit contains epidermal growth factor-like domains, a transmembrane region, and a cytoplasmic tail involved in signal transduction. An ASGP-2 antibody such as clone MUC4/2863 is suitable for detecting MUC4 expression in epithelial tissues and carcinoma research applications.