Recombinant Human/Mouse/Rat Activin A GMP Protein, CF GMP Best Seller

Key Product Details

Product Specifications

Formulation, Preparation and Storage

Background: Activin A

Activin and Inhibin are members of the TGF-beta superfamily of cytokines and are involved in a wide range of biological processes including tissue morphogenesis and repair, fibrosis, inflammation, neural development, hematopoiesis, reproductive system function, and carcinogenesis (1‑7). Activin and Inhibin are produced as precursor proteins. Their amino terminal propeptides are proteolytically cleaved and facilitate formation of disulfide-linked dimers of the bioactive proteins (8, 9). Activins are nonglycosylated homodimers or heterodimers of various beta subunits ( betaA, betaB, betaC, and betaE in mammals), while Inhibins are heterodimers of a unique alpha subunit and one of the beta subunits. Activin A is a widely expressed homodimer of two betaA chains. The betaA subunit can also heterodimerize with a betaB or betaC subunit to form Activin AB and Activin AC, respectively (10). The 14 kDa mature human betaA chain shares 100% amino acid sequence identity with bovine, feline, mouse, porcine, and rat betaA. 

Activin A exerts its biological activities by binding to the type 2 serine/threonine kinase Activin RIIA which then noncovalently associates with the type 1 serine/threonine kinase Activin RIB/ALK-4 (7, 11). Signaling through this receptor complex leads to Smad activation and regulation of activin-responsive gene transcription (7, 11). The bioactivity of Activin A is regulated by a variety of mechanisms (11). BAMBI, Betaglycan, and Cripto are cell‑associated molecules that function as decoy receptors or limit the ability of Activin A to induce receptor complex assembly (12‑14). The intracellular formation of Activin A can be prevented by the incorporation of the betaA subunit into Activin AC or Inhibin A (3, 10). And the bioavailability of Activin A is restricted by its incorporation into inactive complexes with alpha2-Macroglobulin, Follistatin, and FLRG (15, 16).

Activin A is involved in the differentiation of various cell and tissue types. The induction of definitive endoderm by Activin A is required in differentiation protocols of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) (17, 18). In vitro models of human gametogenesis use prolonged Activin A supplementation to human embryonic stem cells for differentiation into human primordial germ cell-like cells (19). Activin A can also be used to maintain cells in vitro, as is the case for iPSC-derived nephron cells that can then be used in disease modeling, drug screening and in regenerative medicine (20). 

Activin A is an important factor for tumor cells to evade the immune system as Activin A can act on surrounding immune cells to decrease their antitumor activity (21). Activin A also promotes migration and growth of tumors, making it a target for cancer therapies (22). Specifically, research has shown that interfering with Activin A activity can assist in overcoming CD8 T-cell exclusion and immunotherapy resistance (23). In bone marrow-derived stem cell transplants for treatment of diabetes, Activin A enhances migration and homing of stem cells towards pancreatic lineage (24).

Additional Activin A Products

• All Products for Activin A
• Activin A cDNA Clones
• Activin A ELISA Kits
• Activin A Lysates
• Activin A Primary Antibodies
• Activin A Proteins and Enzymes

Manufacturing Specifications

GMP Proteins
R&D Systems, a Bio-Techne Brand's GMP proteins are produced according to relevant sections of the following documents: USP Chapter 1043, Ancillary Materials for Cell, Gene and Tissue-Engineered Products and Eu. Ph. 5.2.12, Raw Materials of Biological Origin for the Production of Cell-based and Gene Therapy Medicinal Products.


R&D Systems' quality focus includes:

• Manufactured and tested under an ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016 certified quality system
• Documented processes and QA control of documentation and process changes
• Personnel training programs
• Raw material testing and vendor qualification/monitoring
• Fully validated equipment, processes and test methods
• Equipment calibration schedules using a computerized calibration program
• Facility maintenance, safety programs and pest control
• Material review process for variances
• Monitoring of stability over product shelf-life

R&D Systems strives to provide our customers with the analytical characteristics of each product so that customers may determine whether our products are appropriate for their research. The Certificate of Analysis provided contains the following lot specific information:

• N-terminal amino acid analysis, SDS-PAGE analysis, and endotoxin level (as determined by LAL assay) performed on each bulk QC lot, not on individual bottlings of each QC lot
• Post-bottling lot-specific bioassay results (compliance with an established range) and results of microbial testing according to USP
• Host Cell Protein testing performed by ELISA
• Mycoplasma testing by ribosomal RNA hybridization assay

Additional testing and documentation requested by the customer can be arranged at an additional cost. 

Production records and facilities are available for examination by appropriate personnel on-site at R&D Systems in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA.

R&D Systems sells GMP grade products for preclinical or clinical ex vivo use. They are not for in vivo use. Please read the following End User Terms prior to using this product.