Targeted conjugates are widely used to escort payloads to specific cell populations in vitro and in vivo for both basic research and pharmaceutical development. Desirable traits of a Targeting Agent include high specificity and rapid internalization. The Targeting Agent can be an antibody, peptide, protein, or any other molecule that recognizes a cell- surface marker.
The ZAP products allow a large number of targeting agents to be screened quickly and cost-efficiently for specificity, functional binding, internalization, and EC50 determination. The NEW ZAP Biotin-Z Internalization Kits are constructed using streptavidin (for use with biotinylated targeting agents), chemically attached to Saporin, the most potent of the plant ribosome-inactivating proteins.
ZAP products are combined with Targeting Candidates and collectively applied to plated cells. Once the materials have been administered, the targeting molecule directs the ZAP to the cells of interest, the complex is bound by the targeted cells, internalized, and the Saporin protein is released within the cytosol to inactivate the ribosomes, causing cell death. Cells not expressing the target are not affected.
The NEW ZAP Biotin-Z Internalization Kit contains all of the materials needed to screen your biotinylated targeting agent. Included in the kit are Streptavidin-ZAP, controls, and developing reagents for an in vitro assay. The user provides only the materials specific to their experiment (the biotinylated targeting agent, cells expressing the target, and culture reagents). An additional benefit of the biotin-streptavidin connection is that these conjugates can be used in an in vivo environment as well. For those customers who need biotin attached to a targeting candidate, ATS provides a biotinylation service. The biotinylated targeting agent will be returned to the customer with one of our Biotin-Z kits for no additional charge.