The Mouse Gla-Osteocalcin High Sensitive EIA Kit is an quantitative kit that enables specific and highly sensitive assay of mouse Gla-osteocalcin that exhibits a potential to osseointegration (active osteocalcin). The capture antibody (plate-bound antibody) is a plate-bound solid-phased rat monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes the C-terminal region of mouse osteocalcin. It is paired with labeled antibody—a monoclonal antibody for detecting osteocalcin with Gla residues. Because mouse osteocalcin has C terminal region sequences that differ from those in humans, cattle and other large animals, it is possible to measure mouse osteocalcin without any cross-reaction with bovine antigens through capture of the antigen with antibodies recognizing a C-terminal epitope. Therefore, one can monitor the process of osteoblastic cell differentiation from pluripotent cells such as mouse ES and iPS cells without interference from bovine serum included in the culture medium.
Furthermore, this kit can be used to carry out high-sensitivity measurements on not only cell culture supernatants, but also samples of mouse blood and bodily fluids. For mice of approximately 8 weeks of age, measurement is possible using a sample dilution of 10 to 20-fold, enabling monitoring of Gla-type osteocalcin concentration even when it is only possible to collect a minimal volume of mouse serum.
Osteocalcin (OC) comprises 49 amino acids, including 2 to 3 γ-carboxyglutamate residues (Gla), and has a molecular weight of approximately 5,900. It is known as a vitamin K-dependent calcium binding non-collagen protein. Osteocalcin is an osteoblast-specific marker as it is produced only by osteoblasts. The Gla-osteocalcin, in particular, is a marker of osteogenesis.
In bone formation, the dynamic osteogenesis in growing young animals is called “modeling” (new construction). In matured animals beyond the growing phase, bone morphology undergoes no apparent changes and remains stable, but a certain percentage of the bone are constantly being replaced. This process is called “remodeling” (reconstruction).
