Anti-MerTK Antibody

From Antibodies.com, this primary antibody is a rabbit polyclonal raised against MerTK. It is unconjugated and validated for use in Western blot, with reactivity confirmed in human, mouse, and rat samples. The product is supplied as a liquid at 1 mg/ml in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) containing 0.05% sodium azide, at approximately pH 7.2.

MerTK, also called c-Mer, belongs to the Mer/Axl/Tyro3 receptor kinase family. It is a 984-residue transmembrane protein comprising one tyrosine kinase domain, two fibronectin type-III domains, and two immunoglobulin-like C2-type domains, and is the mammalian ortholog of the chicken retroviral oncogene product v-Eyk. The receptor plays a critical role in macrophage activation, platelet aggregation, clot stability, and the efficient removal of apoptotic cells. MerTK acts as a signaling molecule that triggers outer segment ingestion in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) phagocytic process and signals via interaction with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C γ2 (PI-PLC γ2). When the gene encoding MerTK is mutated, the RPE phagocytosis pathway is disrupted, potentially leading to autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and degeneration of retinal photoreceptor cells.