SAM68 Antibody #12538

Src associated in mitosis 68 kDa (SAM68) is a member of the signal transduction and activation of RNA (STAR) family of RNA binding proteins (1,2). SAM68 is a multi-functional protein with roles in signal transduction, cell cycle regulation, transcription, and alternative splicing (1-3). SAM68 acts as a scaffold protein mediating responses to various stimuli that activate receptors, such as the T-cell receptor and the insulin receptor, linking activation of various signal transduction pathways with post-transcriptional gene regulation (3). SAM68 is a target for phosphorylation by Src-related kinases and Erk1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinases. Phosphorylation of SAM68 regulates both its affinity for RNA and alternative splicing of RNAs like CD44 receptor mRNA (1,4). Many of the activities of SAM68 and its targets for alternative splicing have been implicated in the development and progression of spinal muscular atrophy and cancers such as prostate and breast carcinomas, where SAM68 is frequently upregulated (1,5-8).