Anti-HP1 alpha (Ab-92) Antibody

HP1 alpha, encoded by the CBX5 gene, is a non-histone chromosomal protein that binds histone H3 methylated at lysine 9 (H3K9me2/me3) through its chromodomain and plays a central role in heterochromatin formation, transcriptional silencing, and DNA damage response. This Antibodies.com rabbit polyclonal antibody is raised against an immunogen corresponding to a region near amino acid 92 of the human HP1 alpha sequence, providing sensitive detection of endogenous total protein in chromatin studies.

The unconjugated reagent is supplied as 100 µl of liquid and has been validated for western blot and immunohistochemistry on human samples. Recommended applications include immunoblotting of whole-cell lysates to monitor HP1 alpha expression and chromatin fractionation, and immunostaining of paraffin-embedded or frozen tissue sections to visualize nuclear heterochromatin localization. The antibody is reactive with human HP1 alpha; species cross-reactivity beyond human has not been broadly characterized, so use in non-human systems typically requires prior validation in the lab.

For storage, aliquot the antibody upon receipt and store at -20 °C, avoiding repeated freeze-thaw cycles to preserve activity. Working dilutions should be optimized for each application and detection system. The polyclonal format offers epitope diversity that can be advantageous when probing across varying chromatin contexts, including studies of histone methylation dynamics, heterochromatin-associated complexes, and gene regulation mechanisms linked to genome stability.