Aggrecan Neoepitope (ACAN) is a proteoglycan belonging to aggrecan/versican proteoglycan family and is a major component of extracellular matrix of cartilagenous tissues. ACAN proteoglycan is mainly consists of chondroitin sulfate, however, it also contains keratan sulfate chains, N/O-linked oligosaccharides. Aggrecanase mediated cleavage results in ACAN fragments release from articular cartilage into synovial fluid during different stages of human osteoarthritis. ACAN is a secreted protein found in extracellular space/extracellular matrix and is more or less restricted to cartilages where it interact with FBLN1 as well as COM for serving the role of resisting compression in cartilage. ACAN binds to hyaluronic acid via an N-terminal globular region with high avidity and its expression occurs in chondrocytes throughout the developing skeleton. ACAN defects have been linked to spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia type Kimberley (SEDK), spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia aggrecan type (SEMD-ACAN), osteochondritis dissecans short stature and early-onset osteoarthritis (OD).
Synonyms
AGC1; AGCAN; CSPG1; CSPGCP; MSK16; SEDK
Note
This Aggrecan Neoepitope antibody is useful for Immunocytochemistry/Immunofluorescence, Immunohistochemistry-paraffin embedded sections, and Western Blot. In WB a band is detected at ~61 kDa representing the neoepitope sequence (NITEGE) generated by aggrecanase-mediated cleavage at Glu373-Ala374 of aggrecan core proteins. Use in Immunohistochemistry-Frozen and Flow Cytometry reported in scientific literature (PMID 21482542)