Validation of Isoform- and Mutation-Specific RAS Antibodies

Validation of antibody specificity is essential for the accurate evaluation of protein expression. For antibodies that recognize the gene products of the RAS family of oncogenes (HRAS, KRAS, and NRAS), an important challenge is the determination of selectivity for the four nearly identical HRAS, KRAS4A, KRAS4B, and NRAS proteins. With increasing appreciation for the distinct roles of the different RAS proteins in normal and neoplastic cells, there is a need for well-validated antibodies to evaluate the function and expression of the different RAS isoforms. Here we describe our experimental approaches to characterize RAS antibodies for their isoform- and mutant-specificity for use in immunoblot analyses.