| Description: | Recognizes intermediate filament proteins (IFP's) of 55 kDa and 46 kDa, which are identified as cytokeratin 7 and Cytokeratin 17 respectively. On formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded sections, C-46 reacts with keratin 7 only. Cytokeratins comprise a diverse group of intermediate filament proteins (IFPs) that are expressed as pairs in both keratinized and non-keratinized epithelial tissue. Cytokeratins play a critical role in differentiation and tissue specialization and function to maintain the overall structural integrity of epithelial cells. Cytokeratins have been found to be useful markers of tissue differentiation, which is directly applicable to the characterization of malignant tumors. Cytokeratin 7 is a basic cytokeratin, which is found in most glandular and transitional epithelia but not in the stratified squamous epithelia. Cytokeratin 7 is expressed in the epithelial cells of ovary, lung, and breast but not of colon, prostate, or gastrointestinal tract. Cytokeratin 17 is expressed in epithelial cells of various origins, such as bronchial epithelial cells and skin appendages. Cytokeratin 17 antibody marks basal cell differentiation.Primary antibodies are available purified, or with a selection of fluorescent CF� Dyes and other labels. CF� Dyes offer exceptional brightness and photostability. Note: Conjugates of blue fluorescent dyes like CF�405S and CF�405M are not recommended for detecting low abundance targets, because blue dyes have lower fluorescence and can give higher non-specific background than other dye colors. |
