Rho Associated Coiled Coil containing Protein kinase 1 from MyBioSource.com

Rho-kinase (ROCK) is one of the best-characterized effectors of small GTPase RhoA and belongs to the AGC (protein kinase A/protein kinase G/protein kinase C) family of serine/threonine kinases. ROCK family contains two members, ROCK1 and ROCK2; they share 65% homology and 92% overall identity in the kinase domain. ROCK family of kinases promote actin-Myosin mediated contractile force generated by phosphorylation of down stream targets that include myosin binding subunit of myosin light chain (MLC) phosphatase 1 (MYPT1), myosin light chain 2 (MLC2), and LIM kinase (1). These interactions led rearrangements in actin cytoskeletal organization, stress fiber formation and smooth muscle cell contraction. Both kinases contain a catalytic kinase domain at the N-terminus, followed by a central coiled-coil domain, including a Rho-binding domain and a C-terminal pleckstrin-homology (PH) domain, with an internal cysteine-rich domain (2). Both ROCK1 and ROCK2, kinases contain a catalytic kinase domain at the N-terminus, followed by a central coiled-coil domain, including a Rho-binding domain and a C-terminal pleckstrin-homology (PH) domain, with an internal cysteine-rich domain. The two most commonly used inhibitors for these two kinases are Y2763217 and fasudil,18 target the ATP-dependent kinase domain, therefore inhibit ROCK1 and ROCK2 with equal potency with non-selective effects (3).

The two isoforoms of the Rho-kinases, ROCK1 and ROCK2are very similar and somewhat redundant. The subtle differences are reflected in mouse embryonic fibroblast cells isolated from ROCK1 knockout mice where ROCK1 mediates actin cytoskeletal remodeling in response to cytotoxic stress induced by cancer chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin (4). ROCK1 is also important in mediating the adhesion and transmigration of monocytes. The long-term deficiency of ROCK1 in hypertrophic de-compensation suggest that ROCK1 may be an attractive therapeutic target for heart failure progression. ROCK1 is also involved in smooth muscle contraction, actin-cytoskeletal organization. Stress fiber and focal adhesion formation, and mobility via many different downstream substrate phosphorylation.

ROCK1-selective antibodies were generated against peptides taken from the human ROCK1 protein. The ROCK1-selective antibodies are affinity purified on an immobilized antigen based affinity matrix, the isolated antibodies were then stabilized in antibody stabilization buffer for long-term storage. The ROCK1-selective antibodies are fully characterized for applications in western blotting and ELISA at the recommended dilutions