This product includes a biotinylated mouse monoclonal antibody that binds to the N terminal region (amino acids 1-148) of human Argonaute 2 (Ago2) with high specificity. Magnosphere MS300/Streptavin beads are used to capture the antibody-Ago2 complex for immunoprecipitation experiments.
Eukaryotes have sequence-specific gene expression control mechanisms called RNA interference (RNAi) or RNA silencing that rely on single-stranded RNA molecules (microRNAs, abbreviated as miRNAs) ranging in length from 21-24 nt. In RNAi, Argonaute proteins, which are major components of RNA-Induced Silencing Complexes (RISC), form complexes with miRNAs to facilitate sequence-dependent inhibition of gene expression in which miRNA serve as guide molecules.
The human Argonaute protein family consists of 8 members classified into 2 subfamilies, the Ago subfamily (Ago1-4) and the piwi subfamily (PIWIL1-4). Members of the Ago subfamily (Ago1-4) contribute to inhibition of mRNA translation. In particular, Argonaute 2 (Ago2) exhibits endonuclease activity and plays an important role in RNAi by facilitating the degradation of specific mRNA transcripts by RISCs.
Additionally, RNA extraction may be performed on the antigen-antibody complexes to analyze miRNAs present in the immunoprecipitate.
