Polyclonal Antibody to Anthrax PA (Protective Antigen) protein

Background
Anthrax PA (Protective Antigen) and Anthrax LF (Lethal Factor), along with Anthrax EF (Edema Factor), are toxins produced by Bacillus anthracis. All three of the proteins must be present for toxic entry into cells.  Anthrax PA is secreted from Bacillus anthracis as an 83 kDa (PA83) protein which is cleaved by furin protease, releasing a 20 kD fragment. The 63 kD portion  (PA63) of the cleavage product forms a heptamer, which binds the toxins LF and EF. This complex enters via receptor-mediated endocytosis where LF and EF exert their toxic effects.

Antigen
The antibody was developed by immunizing rabbits with a synthetic peptide corresponding to amino acids 186-192 of the Anthrax PA protein (~83 kDa.

Application Notes
PA is cleaved from the 83 to the 63 kDa form at amino acids 164-167. Thus the antibody (made against amino acids 186-192) should recognize both the 83 and 63 kDa PA forms, but not the 20 kD cleavage fragment.

Reference
1. Collier RJ, Young JA. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. 2003;19:45-70 (2003).
2. Cunningham K, Lacy DB, Mogridge J, Collier RJ.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 May 14;99(10):7049-53. Epub 2002 May 07.
3. D. Borden Lacy, Michael Mourez, Alexandre Fouassier, and R.     John CollierJ. Biol. Chem., Vol. 277, Issue 4, 3006-3010 (2002).