uPA is a serine protease with an extremely limited substrate specificity, cleaving the sequence Cys-Pro-Gly-Arg560-Val561-Val-Gly-Gly-Cys in plasminogen to form plasmin (1). uPA is a potent marker of invasion and metastasis in a variety of human cancers associated with breast, stomach, colon, bladder, ovary, brain, and endometrium (2). For example, the combination (both low vs. either or both high) of uPA and its inhibitor, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), outperforms the single factors as well as other traditional prognostic factors with regard to risk group assessment for breast cancer, particularly in node-negative breast cancer (3). The human uPA is initially synthesized as 431 amino acid precursor with a N-terminal signal peptide (20 residues) (4-6). The single chain molecule is processed into a disulfide-linked two-chain molecule. The B chain starting at Ile179 corresponds to the catalytic domain. Two forms of the A chain exist, one starting at Ser21 (the long form) and the other at Lys156 (the short form). The resulting two-chain forms have different molecular weights (MW). The B chain is common for both forms whereas the long and short A chains are unique to the high and low MW forms, respectively. The long A chain contains an EGF-like domain, which is responsible for binding of the uPA receptor (uPAR). Both high and low MW forms exist in the purified recombinant human uPA.

Long Name

Urokinase-type Plasminogen Activator

Alternate Names

PLAU, uPA, uPlasminogen Activator, Urokinase

Entrez Gene IDs

5328 (Human); 18792 (Mouse); 102135886 (Cynomolgus Monkey)

Gene Symbol

PLAU

UniProt

P00749

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Product Specific Notices

This product is provided under an agreement between Life Technologies Corporation and R&D Systems, Inc, and the manufacture, use, sale or import of this product is subject to one or more US patents and corresponding non-US equivalents, owned by Life Technologies Corporation and its affiliates. The purchase of this product conveys to the buyer the non-transferable right to use the purchased amount of the product and components of the product only in research conducted by the buyer (whether the buyer is an academic or for-profit entity). The sale of this product is expressly conditioned on the buyer not using the product or its components (1) in manufacturing; (2) to provide a service, information, or data to an unaffiliated third party for payment; (3) for therapeutic, diagnostic or prophylactic purposes; (4) to resell, sell, or otherwise transfer this product or its components to any third party, or for any other commercial purpose. Life Technologies Corporation will not assert a claim against the buyer of the infringement of the above patents based on the manufacture, use or sale of a commercial product developed in research by the buyer in which this product or its components was employed, provided that neither this product nor any of its components was used in the manufacture of such product. For information on purchasing a license to this product for purposes other than research, contact Life Technologies Corporation, Cell Analysis Business Unit, Business Development, 29851 Willow Creek Road, Eugene, OR 97402, Tel: (541) 465-8300. Fax: (541) 335-0354.

For research use only

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Human u-Plasminogen Activator (uPA)/Urokinase Alexa Fluor® 647-conjugated Antibody

R&D Systems, part of Bio-Techne | Catalog # AF1310R

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Background: u-Plasminogen Activator (uPA)/Urokinase