ALL Metrics
-
Views
-
Downloads
Get PDF
Get XML
Cite
Export
Track
Data Note

A guide to selecting high-performing antibodies for CSNK2A1 (UniProt ID: P68400) for use in western blot, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence

[version 1; peer review: 3 approved with reservations]
PUBLISHED 09 Jul 2024
Author details Author details
OPEN PEER REVIEW
REVIEWER STATUS

This article is included in the YCharOS (Antibody Characterization through Open Science) gateway.

Abstract

Casein kinase II subunit alpha (CSNK2A1), a serine/threonine kinase, phosphorylates multiple protein substrates and is involved in diverse cellular and biological processes. Implicated in various human diseases, high-performing antibodies would help evaluate its potential as a therapeutic target and benefit the scientific community. In this study, we have characterized ten CSNK2A1 commercial antibodies for western blot, immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence using a standardized experimental protocol based on comparing read-outs in knockout cell lines and isogenic parental controls. These studies are part of a larger, collaborative initiative seeking to address antibody reproducibility issues by characterizing commercially available antibodies for human proteins and publishing the results openly as a resource for the scientific community. While use of antibodies and protocols vary between laboratories, we encourage readers to use this report as a guide to select the most appropriate antibodies for their specific needs.

Keywords

UniProt ID P68400, CSNK2A1, Casein kinase II subunit alpha, antibody characterization, antibody validation, western blot, immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence

Introduction

Casein kinase II subunit alpha (CSNK2A1), encoded by the CSNK2A1 gene, is a catalytic subunit of the serine/threonine enzyme, casein kinase 2; essential for cell cycle progression, apoptosis, transcription and viral replication.15 Relevant to the etiology of many diseases, including the identification of two missense mutations in the CSNK2A1 gene associated with autism spectrum disorder, CSNK2A1 is emerging as a promising biomarker and therapeutic target.1,617 High-performing antibodies would enable data reproducibility and reliable research findings.

This research is part of a broader collaborative initiative in which academics, funders and commercial antibody manufacturers are working together to address antibody reproducibility issues by characterizing commercial antibodies for human proteins using standardized protocols, and openly sharing the data.1820 Here, we evaluated the performance of ten commercially-available antibodies for CSNK2A1 for use in western blot, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence, enabling biochemical and cellular assessment of the proteins properties and function. The platform for antibody characterization used to carry out this study was endorsed by a committee of industry and academic representatives. It consists of identifying human cell lines with adequate target protein expression and the development/contribution of equivalent knockout (KO) cell lines, followed by antibody characterization procedures with most of the commercially available antibodies against the corresponding target protein. The standardized consensus antibody characterization protocols are openly available on Protocol Exchange (DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.pex-2607/v1).21

The authors do not engage in result analysis or offer explicit antibody recommendations. A limitation of this study is the use of universal protocols - any conclusions remain relevant within the confines of the experimental setup and cell line used in this study. Our primary aim is to deliver top-tier data to the scientific community, grounded in Open Science principles. This empowers experts to interpret the characterization data independently, enabling them to make informed choices regarding the most suitable antibodies for their specific experimental needs. Guidelines on how to interpret antibody characterization data found in this study are featured on the YCharOS gateway.22

Results and discussion

Our standard protocol involves comparing readouts from wild-type (WT) and KO cells.23,24 The first step is to identify a cell line(s) that expresses sufficient levels of CSNK2A1 to generate a measurable signal using antibodies. To this end, we examined the DepMap transcriptomics database to identify all cell lines that express the target at levels greater than 2.5 log2 (transcripts per million “TPM” + 1), which we have found to be a suitable cut-off (Cancer Dependency Map Portal, RRID:SCR_017655). The HAP1 cell lines expresses the CSNK2A1 transcript at 7.0 log2 (TPM+1) RNA levels, which is above the average range of cancer cells analyzed. Parental and CSNK2A KO HAP1 cells were obtained from Horizon Discovery (Table 1).

Table 1. Summary of the cell lines used.

InstitutionCatalog numberRRID (Cellosaurus)Cell lineGenotype
Horizon DiscoveryC631CVCL_Y019HAP1WT
Horizon DiscoveryHZGHC004051c003CVCL_SJ92HAP1CSNK2A1

For western blot experiments, WT and CSNK2A KO protein lysates were ran on SDS-PAGE, transferrred onto nitrocellulose membranes, and then probed with ten CSNK2A1 antibodies in parallel (Table 2, Figure 1).

Table 2. Summary of the CSNK2A1 antibodies tested.

CompanyCatalog numberLot numberRRID (Antibody Registry)ClonalityClone IDHostConcentration (μg/μl)Vendors recommended applications
Abcamab76040**1001668-2AB_1523361recombinant-monoEP1963Yrabbit0.16Wb
Abcamab2366641012742-3AB_3073947polyclonal-rabbit2.0Wb, IP, IF
Bio-TechneMAB7957*CHSN0121081AB_3073948monoclonal844720mouse0.5Wb
Bio-TechneNBP3-19853**230458AB_3073949recombinant-monoS05-7F8rabbit0.3Wb
Cell Signaling Technology26563AB_2236816polyclonal-rabbit0.03Wb
GenetexGTX10757640366AB_10616991polyclonal-rabbit1.0Wb
GenetexGTX10789740002AB_1950048polyclonal-rabbit0.62Wb, IF
GenetexGTX10794939869AB_2036686polyclonal-rabbit0.2Wb
Proteintech68200-1-Ig*10028709AB_2935289monoclonal1D5E8mouse1.0Wb
Thermo Fisher Scientific702811**2062784AB_2734801recombinant-mono7H29L3rabbit0.5Wb

* Monoclonal antibody.

** Recombinant antibody.

8364a269-3298-4de1-91f3-c7d92473b22f_figure1.gif

Figure 1. CSNK2A1 antibody screening by western blot.

Lysates of HAP1 (WT and CSNK2A KO) were prepared and 30 μg of protein were processed for western blot with the indicated CSNK2A1 antibodies. The ponceau stained transfers of each blot are presented to show equal loading of WT and KO lysates and protein transfer efficiency from the polyacrylamide gels to the nitrocellulose membrane. Antibody dilutions were chosen according to the recommendations of the antibody supplier. An exception was given to 68200-1-Ig* recommended at 1/20 000, as the signal was too weak and was therefore diluted and was used at 1/10 000. Antibody dilution used: ab76040** at 1/500, ab236664 at 1/1000, MAB7957* at 1/1000, NBP3-19853** at 1/1000, 2656 at 1/500, GTX107576 at 1/500, GTX107897 at 1/500, GTX107949 at 1/500, 68200-1-Ig* at 1/10 000, 702811** at 1/10 000. Predicted band size: 45 kDa. *Monoclonal antibody, **Recombinant antibody.

We then assessed the capability of all ten antibodies to capture CSNK2A1 from HAP1 protein extracts using immunoprecipitation techniques, followed by western blot analysis. For the immunoblot step, a specific CSNK2A1 antibody identified previously (refer to Figure 1) was selected. Equal amounts of the starting material (SM), the unbound fraction (UB), as well as the whole immunoprecipitate (IP) eluates were separated by SDS-PAGE (Figure 2).

8364a269-3298-4de1-91f3-c7d92473b22f_figure2.gif

Figure 2. CSNK2A1 antibody screening by immunoprecipitation.

HAP1 lysates were prepared, and immunoprecipitation was performed using 2.0 μg of the indicated CSNK2A1 antibodies pre-coupled to Dynabeads protein G or protein A. Samples were washed and processed for western blot with the indicated CSNK2A1 antibody. For western blot, 702811** was used at 1/10 000. The ponceau stained transfers of each blot are shown for similar reasons as in Figure 1. SM = 4% starting material; UB = 4% unbound fraction; IP = immunoprecipitate, HC = antibody heavy chain. *Monoclonal antibody, **Recombinant antibody.

For immunofluorescence, ten antibodies were screened using a mosaic strategy. First, HAP1 WT and CSNK2A1 KO cells were labelled with distinct fluorescent dyes in order to distinguish the two cell lines, and the ten CSNK2A1 antibodies were evaluated. Both WT and KO lines were imaged in the same field of view to reduce staining, imaging and image analysis bias (Figure 3). Quantification of immunofluorescence intensity in hundreds of WT and KO cells was performed for each antibody tested.21 The images presented in Figure 3 are representative of the results of this analysis.

8364a269-3298-4de1-91f3-c7d92473b22f_figure3.gif

Figure 3. CSNK2A1 antibody screening by immunofluorescence.

HAP1 WT and CSNK2A1 KO cells were labelled with a green or a far-red fluorescent dye, respectively. WT and KO cells were mixed and plated to a 1:1 ratio in a 96-well plate with an optically clear flat-bottom. Cells were stained with the indicated CSNK2A1 antibodies and with the corresponding Alexa-fluor 555 coupled secondary antibody including DAPI. Acquisition of the blue (nucleus-DAPI), green (identification of WT cells), red (antibody staining) and far-red (identification of KO cells) channels was performed. Representative images of the merged blue and red (grayscale) channels are shown. WT and KO cells are outlined with green and magenta dashed line, respectively. When the concentration was not indicated by the supplier, antibodies were tested at concentrations where the signal from each antibody was in the range of detection of the microscope used. Antibody dilution used: ab76040** at 1/500, ab236664 at 1/100, MAB7957* at 1/500, NBP3-19853** at 1/300, 2656 at 1/30, GTX107576 at 1/100, GTX107897 at 1/100, GTX107949 at 1/200, 68200-1-Ig* at 1/500, 702811** at 1/250. Bars = 10 μm. *Monoclonal antibody, **Recombinant antibody.

In conclusion, we have screened ten CSNK2A1 commercial antibodies by western blot, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence. Several high-quality antibodies that successfully detect CSNK2A1 under our standardized experimental conditions can be identified. Researchers who wish to study CSNK2A1 in a different species are encouraged to select high-quality antibodies, based on the results of this study, and investigate the predicted species reactivity of the manufacturer before extending their research.

The underlying data for this study can be found on Zenodo, an open-access repository for which YCharOS has its own collection of antibody characterization reports.27,28

Methods

The standardized protocols used to carry out this KO cell line-based antibody characterization platform was established and approved by a collaborative group of academics, industry researchers and antibody manufacturers. The detailed materials and step-by-step protocols used to characterize antibodies in western blot, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence are openly available on Protocol Exchange, a repository dedicated to openly sharing scientific research protocols (DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.pex-2607/v1).21

Antibodies and cell lines used

Cell lines used and primary antibodies tested in this study are listed in Table 1 and 2, respectively. To ensure that the cell lines and antibodies are cited properly and can be easily identified, we have included their corresponding Research Resource Identifiers, or RRID.25,26

Comments on this article Comments (0)

Version 2
VERSION 2 PUBLISHED 09 Jul 2024
Comment
Author details Author details
Competing interests
Grant information
Copyright
Download
 
Export To
metrics
Views Downloads
F1000Research - -
PubMed Central
Data from PMC are received and updated monthly.
- -
Citations
CITE
how to cite this article
Ayoubi R, Fotouhi M, Alende C et al. A guide to selecting high-performing antibodies for CSNK2A1 (UniProt ID: P68400) for use in western blot, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence [version 1; peer review: 3 approved with reservations]. F1000Research 2024, 13:781 (https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.153243.1)
NOTE: If applicable, it is important to ensure the information in square brackets after the title is included in all citations of this article.
track
receive updates on this article
Track an article to receive email alerts on any updates to this article.

Open Peer Review

Current Reviewer Status: ?
Key to Reviewer Statuses VIEW
ApprovedThe paper is scientifically sound in its current form and only minor, if any, improvements are suggested
Approved with reservations A number of small changes, sometimes more significant revisions are required to address specific details and improve the papers academic merit.
Not approvedFundamental flaws in the paper seriously undermine the findings and conclusions
Version 1
VERSION 1
PUBLISHED 09 Jul 2024
Views
2
Cite
Reviewer Report 27 Aug 2024
Miwako Homma, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan 
Approved with Reservations
VIEWS 2
This is an interesting study in an area that needs investigating. CK2(CSNK2A1) protein is the first enzyme found to have phosphorylation activity in eukaryotic cells, and it has been shown to participate in various major biological processes. Since there have ... Continue reading
CITE
CITE
HOW TO CITE THIS REPORT
Homma M. Reviewer Report For: A guide to selecting high-performing antibodies for CSNK2A1 (UniProt ID: P68400) for use in western blot, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence [version 1; peer review: 3 approved with reservations]. F1000Research 2024, 13:781 (https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.168109.r303889)
NOTE: it is important to ensure the information in square brackets after the title is included in all citations of this article.
Views
15
Cite
Reviewer Report 02 Aug 2024
David Litchfield, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada 
Approved with Reservations
VIEWS 15
This Data Note presents a systematic characterization of a number of commercially available antibodies directed against the gene product of CSNK2A1 (also referred to as the alpha subunit of Casein Kinase II).  As noted by the authors, CSNK2A1 is involved ... Continue reading
CITE
CITE
HOW TO CITE THIS REPORT
Litchfield D. Reviewer Report For: A guide to selecting high-performing antibodies for CSNK2A1 (UniProt ID: P68400) for use in western blot, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence [version 1; peer review: 3 approved with reservations]. F1000Research 2024, 13:781 (https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.168109.r303880)
NOTE: it is important to ensure the information in square brackets after the title is included in all citations of this article.
  • Author Response 05 Sep 2024
    Kathleen Southern, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Structural Genomics Consortium, The Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, H3A 2B4, Canada
    05 Sep 2024
    Author Response
    Thank you to David Litchfield for reviewing this manuscript. We hope our response to your comments and concerns clarify any misinterpretations and questions you may have previously had. Additionally, the ... Continue reading
COMMENTS ON THIS REPORT
  • Author Response 05 Sep 2024
    Kathleen Southern, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Structural Genomics Consortium, The Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, H3A 2B4, Canada
    05 Sep 2024
    Author Response
    Thank you to David Litchfield for reviewing this manuscript. We hope our response to your comments and concerns clarify any misinterpretations and questions you may have previously had. Additionally, the ... Continue reading
Views
15
Cite
Reviewer Report 01 Aug 2024
Odile Filhol, Université Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble-Alpes, France 
Catherine Pillet, French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, Grenoble, France 
Approved with Reservations
VIEWS 15
The article untitled “A guide to selecting high-performing antibodies for CSNK2A1 for use in western blot, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence” describes the characterization of ten CSNK2A1 commercially available antibodies and their indicated protocols.
As written in the abstract, these studies are ... Continue reading
CITE
CITE
HOW TO CITE THIS REPORT
Filhol O and Pillet C. Reviewer Report For: A guide to selecting high-performing antibodies for CSNK2A1 (UniProt ID: P68400) for use in western blot, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence [version 1; peer review: 3 approved with reservations]. F1000Research 2024, 13:781 (https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.168109.r303886)
NOTE: it is important to ensure the information in square brackets after the title is included in all citations of this article.
  • Author Response 05 Sep 2024
    Kathleen Southern, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Structural Genomics Consortium, The Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, H3A 2B4, Canada
    05 Sep 2024
    Author Response
    Thank you to Odile Filhol and Catherine Pillet for your thorough analysis of our manuscript presenting antibody characterization data for ten commercial CSNK2A1 antibodies to the scientific community. We hope ... Continue reading
COMMENTS ON THIS REPORT
  • Author Response 05 Sep 2024
    Kathleen Southern, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Structural Genomics Consortium, The Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, H3A 2B4, Canada
    05 Sep 2024
    Author Response
    Thank you to Odile Filhol and Catherine Pillet for your thorough analysis of our manuscript presenting antibody characterization data for ten commercial CSNK2A1 antibodies to the scientific community. We hope ... Continue reading

Comments on this article Comments (0)

Version 2
VERSION 2 PUBLISHED 09 Jul 2024
Comment
Alongside their report, reviewers assign a status to the article:
Approved - the paper is scientifically sound in its current form and only minor, if any, improvements are suggested
Approved with reservations - A number of small changes, sometimes more significant revisions are required to address specific details and improve the papers academic merit.
Not approved - fundamental flaws in the paper seriously undermine the findings and conclusions
Sign In
If you've forgotten your password, please enter your email address below and we'll send you instructions on how to reset your password.

The email address should be the one you originally registered with F1000.

Email address not valid, please try again

You registered with F1000 via Google, so we cannot reset your password.

To sign in, please click here.

If you still need help with your Google account password, please click here.

You registered with F1000 via Facebook, so we cannot reset your password.

To sign in, please click here.

If you still need help with your Facebook account password, please click here.

Code not correct, please try again
Email us for further assistance.
Server error, please try again.