Anti-α-SMA Antibody

Alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA, encoded by ACTA2) is a cytoskeletal isoform widely used as a marker of smooth muscle cells, myofibroblasts, and activated fibroblasts. This unconjugated rabbit polyclonal reagent from Antibodies.com is supplied at 1 mg/ml in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) with 0.05% sodium azide at approximately pH 7.2, and is validated for western blot (WB), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and immunofluorescence (IF) workflows.

The antibody cross-reacts with human, mouse, and rat samples, supporting comparative studies of vascular smooth muscle remodeling, dermal wound healing, tumor-stroma interactions, and organ fibrosis. Researchers commonly apply it to visualize stress fibers in cultured fibroblasts, distinguish contractile from synthetic smooth muscle phenotypes in arterial tissue sections, and quantify myofibroblast accumulation in injured or fibrotic tissues.

Each vial contains 100 µl of liquid antibody; for long-term stability, aliquot upon receipt and freeze at -20 °C, avoiding repeated freeze-thaw cycles. The polyclonal format recognizes multiple epitopes on α-SMA, which can improve signal in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections and on denatured western blot membranes. Working dilutions should be optimized per application, sample type, and detection system, and the unconjugated formulation allows the user to pair the antibody with a fluorophore- or enzyme-labeled secondary reagent of choice.