ARC (E194) polyclonal antibody

Growth factor stimulation has been shown to induce the expression of immediate early genes in non-neuronal cells, which encode a variety of molecules that are potentially involved in long-term cellular responses. Similar responses induced by neurotransmitter stimulation have also been seen in neuronal cells and evidence suggests that protein synthesis is required for long-term synaptic plasticity. Arc (for activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein) is a growth factor and immediate early gene that is enriched in brain. Arc mRNA and protein levels are induced by neuronal activity, which is necessary to stimulate neuroplasticity, indicating a potential role for Arc in activitydependent changes in dendrite function. Arc expression has been detected in neuronal cell bodies and dendrites in the hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus, striatum and cortex. Arc has been shown to localize to the cytoskeleton of neuronal cells and appears to co-localize with F-Actin, although it may associate with an Actin-associated protein rather than directly with F-Actin. It has been shown that cocaine-stimulated neuronal activity results in increased Arc mRNA levels in striatum.